Real or Not Real
by snoopykid
Summary: The Savior has once again prevailed, but that does not mean she comes out unscratched. The darkness of the Underworld has hijacked Emma's mind so that she does not know who anyone really is anymore or what is even real? So one war had been fought and now another war is about to begin for the sanity of Emma's mind. After 5x11. Based on Katiness and Peeta's game 'Real or Not Real'.
1. Chapter 1

Ok so this is going to be a miniseries while I am putting together my new Frozen story and taking finals. I had asked the wonderful and talented JustMeandMyKeyboard a request in their Our Charming Family story based on the game that Katniss and Peeta play in Mocking Jay part 2 'Real or Not Real'. Anyway it was amazing and I asked permission to write my own spin on it and JMAMK agreed that it was ok. So shout out to you! Thank you again!

Now this will take place after the events of Emma and Killian being the Dark Ones. So that drama is over, and while Killian comes out semi-unscratched (aside from being incredibly guilty and kind of avoiding Emma) however even though he opened up the gates of the Underworld, it was the darkness of the Underworld that affected Emma the most. She had already been so vulnerable that all the previous Dark Ones hijacked her mind by warping the images of her friends and family. So it is an aftermath take starting from 5x11. Hope you all enjoy!

 **Real or Not Real?**

They watched as Emma stood in the middle of the street panting due to the mass amounts of magic she had just preformed to banish the Dark Ones back to the Underworld. She was no longer in the clothes that showed her darkness nor was her hair stark white. Instead she looked just as she had when they were in Camelot: wearing the beautiful white dress, and blonde hair down pulled back loosely with a flower like crown in her hair. Her mouth was open as she continued to pant with exhaustion and Excalibur fell out of her hands and clattered to the pavement. Taking this as a sign, Henry made the first to move towards his mother, "You did it!" He cheered, "You really did it!"

However the hug that he was expecting when he flew at her did not come. Instead Emma reacted and thrust her hand out and he was levitated in the air, the feeling of suffocation coming over him as he gasped for the oxygen that would not reach his lungs, "Emma!" Snow, Charming, Regina, Robin, and Hook gasped as they quickly ran over to try and save Henry.

Emma saw this and thrust her other hand out and they too were levitated in the air gasping, "Stay away from me!" She yelled, "You all are not my family!"

"Love please-" Hook gasped out this time trying to lock eyes with her, but when she did meet his gaze she waved her hands and they were all tossed to the side and fell on the pavement…hard.

Emma took a predatory step closer to Killian and before anyone could react, she waved her hand once more and he was lifted in the air again, gasping, "This is all your fault. You caused all this."

"Mom stop! What are you doing?!" Henry yelled as he made a move again to get to his mother.

Snow and Charming grabbed hold of the boy, and Regina stepped forward, fireball at the ready, "Let him go Emma!" She commanded. Despite this being Hook's fault, she knew understood that it was the darkness that made Killian react the way he had, "You really do not want to do this." Regina stated as she saw something flash in the blonde's eyes.

"Please Emma. I am sorry…please…I love you." He tried again.

Emma's eyes changed from dark and cloudy, back to her normal hazel eyes. Realizing what she was doing, she gasped and Killian fell back on the pavement, "No…no, no, no…what did I-" She looked at the terrified and confused faces of her family.

Snow saw Emma backing away from them, as the town started to emerge from their safe places. She instantly flashed back to when Emma had lost control of her magic and was determined to not make the same mistake, "Emma it is ok. It will be-"

"No it won't!" Emma yelled, "I just blanked out…I saw Henry and-" She cut herself off as she shook her head and began muttering, "Not real…not real…" Killian tried to go over to Emma and seeing this Emma turned back around and snapped, "Get away from me!" He stopped and felt his heart constricting with pain.

"Emma please," Killian stated, "let us help you. I can help-"

Emma flinched back when he tried to take a step closer to her. Charming placed a hand on the pirate's shoulder, "Perhaps it is best if you listen. Go back to your ship." Killian's face fell and without arguing he turned away from them. Charming watched him go and then looked at his daughter.

"I'll make sure he gets there safely." Robin offered as he looked at Regina who was focusing intently on the blonde, "Will you be ok?"

Regina snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards him, "Yes, uhm…just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Well stupider than normal." Robin looked unsure at the positive answer he had gotten, but none the less he ran to catch up with the pirate. Regina looked back towards Emma as Snow came to her side, "I do not understand," Regina stated as she sensed Snow back to ask her what was wrong with Emma, "she used light magic to do what she did. I did not sense a trace of darkness within it."

Emma kept pacing back and forth as if having a conversation with herself. Henry watches broken as he says, "She did that on her own accord? For some sort of self-defense?"

Charming watches as well and has flashes of his time as a young boy on the farm, "Something really spooked her and she reacted. She must have saw you as a threat."

Henry went to retort, but they heard someone else's voice, "It is the darkness." Their heads snapped towards the new speaker and saw Rumple and Belle approaching, and it was Rumple that spoke as he slide over next to Regina, "She did go to the Underworld for a short period of time to us, but who knows how long she was actually there. Time runs differently between realms and as she was stripping herself of the darkness, who knows how vulnerable that made her…not taking into account whichever Dark One had her fears thrown at her again and again."

"So are you saying that the Dark Ones had somehow warped her memory or-" Snow began to ask.

"More like hijacked really." Rumple stated as he watched the blonde finally stopped pacing to get herself under control, "May I?" He motioned towards her.

"If you can get her to calm down." Snow stated.

They watched as Rumple walked over to Emma, holding his hands up in surrender and in peace as Emma got ready to attack. Regina also got ready to defend as he said, "You are safe. I am not here to harm you."

"Yea right. You had been nothing but a pain in my ass since I became the Dark One nearly two months ago." Emma snarled as magic crackled in her hand.

"That was a personification of me. A spirit as it were, however I am real. I am not that person." Rumple said in a gentle voice that no one had ever heard before, except for Belle.

"Real? I do not even know what is real." Emma admitted as she stopped the crackling and lowered her hand. Regina however did not lower her own defenses.

Snow looked at Regina, "What did she mean?"

"It is just as imp said. The darkness somehow hijacked her mind while she was in the Underworld." Regina responded as she watched the situation closely.

"Well why do we not start with what is real then? What do you know for certain that is real? Something that the Dark Ones did not take away from you." Rumple suggested easily.

"My name…my origins I guess…" Emma said trailing off.

The group started to slowly approach as Rumple gave them the signal that it was ok, "Alright then dearie." Emma flinched at the word which did not go unnoticed, "Tell us." Seeing that Emma was now on guard with everyone around he said quickly, "Focus Emma…tell me what you believe to be real." Still seeing she was unsure, he sighed and said, "Tell me your name…"

Emma's gaze lingered on them for a bit before locking eyes back with Gold, "My name is Emma Swan, I know that to be real."

"Ok good, now who are you?" Gold asked signaling her to continue.

"My name is Emma Swan." She repeated as she started to once again hear echoes in her head and black faceless demons in her mind's eye, "I am an orphan because I was abandoned on the side of a highway," Snow and Charming felt a giant ball of weight in their stomach form that made them feel instantly sick, "I grew up in the foster system, and later became a bailbonds person."

"Ok that is a start." Rumple said as he saw the devastation on the faces of Henry and the Charmings. Regina however tried to look indifferent, but of course knowing the woman for many years, he could read her like an open book, "Belle, please go back to my shop and make some tea for us." Belle nodded and ran back to the shop, "Henry try and find Doctor Hopper, we are going to need his assistance."

"But I want to stay and help." Henry said as he tried to go near his mother, but Emma immediately got defense and magic around her hands started to crackle again.

"Henry please." Rumple stated firmly before Regina, Snow, and Charming could say anything.

Henry's mouth went dry as he saw his mother reacting that way with him, turned the other way and took off without another word. Looking back at Regina he said, "I need you to try and summon the cuffs, make them like handcuffs chained together." Seeing she was about to argue, he said, "Now is not the time for questioning just do it." He ordered as he looked back at Emma who did not seem to listening as she got a blank look in her eye as she kept staring at where Henry once stood, "Do it discretely." He added when he saw Regina wave her hands in front of her.

Regina scowled, but did as she was told. She placed her hands behind her back and thought about the cuffs that she was once chained to when the Home Office, had come to Storybrook and had captured her due to Hook's help. Once she felt them in her hands, she pulled them from behind her back and handed them to Gold, "Very good, now then…" Looking back at Emma, who had not moved a muscle, he said, "Emma, I am going to place you in these." Her dull hazel eyes looked back to him, "You know that you need these. We do not want any accidents right?"

"Why should I trust anything you are saying?" Then locking eyes with the remaining people she said, "Why should I trust any of you?"

"Do you want answers?" Emma nodded, "Then trust us." He held out the cuffs and Emma turned away for a brief instant before holding her hands up.

Rumple quickly cuffed her and Emma immediately felt drain and was about to collapse to her knees, when Snow and Charming caught her, "What are these?" Charming asked, "These are not like the cuffs before."

Emma was trying to weakly fight against them, "You tricked me." Snow and David kept a firm hold, "When I get out of these, I will kill you! You hear me?!"

Seeing a larger crowd forming, Regina waved her hand and Emma fell limp against her father, "There now let's get her to your shop and you can explain further." She stated swiftly and began leading them towards the shop as David scooped Emma up in his arms to follow.

"This is not magically induced is it?" Snow asked as Rumple sighed and had started to follow. He stopped to look at her as she continued, "That's why you need Archie right?"

"The darkness may have caused it, but yes. There is no spell or curse that did this. It is purely psychological." Rumple said, "Unfortunately magic could only do so much, and with the trauma that she has already endured, magic cannot help her. But we should probably discuss this in my shop." He stated as the towns people started making their way towards them, so they quickly walked to the shop.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow ok so I guess this is going to be popular I hope. The reviews/favs/follows I had gotten throughout yesterday and today were amazing. Thank you guys so much! So here comes chapter two!

 **Real or Not Real?**

Emma had awoken on the couch in the back of Gold's shop, chained to the armrest. Sitting up she looked around the room as she heard voices coming from the front of the shop. Closing her eyes she saw faceless people and immediately snapped her eyes open just as two people entered the room, "Emma?"

Emma looked to the speaker and saw it was Archie and next to him was Belle, "Hey." She greeted as she cleared her throat, "What happened?"

She watched as they exchanged a look before looking back towards her, "We brought you back here because you need help…remember?" Belle explained as she pulled up a chair for her and Archie. It was agreed that since it looked like Emma had shown no hostility towards Belle when they were standing in the middle of the street before, that it was safer to have her in the room with Archie.

"I remember…" Emma stated, "I had explained that I can't remember what is real…"

"Well your family came and got me so I can help you figure that out." Archie said gently trying to keep the woman calm.

Emma looked at him and asked, "Family?"

"Snow and David; your parents, and Henry; your son. Even Regina is worried about you." Archie said as he took note of Emma's hazel eyes getting darker and darker at the mention of each name, "They said you tried to kill Killian."

Emma was silent as she tugged on the cuffs that held her to the couch, "Those people are not my family. Those people are demons…" Emma stated furiously, giving up on trying to get free, "Are they out there?" She asked eventually after a passing thought.

"Yes." Belle said that right now lying to Emma was not a good idea.

"Listen you have to get away from them. They tried to kill me. They killed everyone I ever cared about." Emma warned quickly and quietly, "That one I tried to kill wasn't Killian. Killian is dead as are my real family."

"No Emma no. That is not true. They are your family and Killian is alive. He is at his ship." Archie said quickly, "How about we do this…" he stated before Emma could counter anything, "you tell us what you think is real, and we will tell you whether it is right or wrong with an explanation." Seeing Emma's uncertainty he said, "It'll be like a game."

"Seriously? You want to play a game when there murders in the next room?" Emma asked incredulously.

"We will work this out. I promise. Just give it a try…" Archie said.

"And how do I know you are not lying to me if I ask whether or not something is true?" Emma interrogated back, "How do I know you are not really working for them? Just to gain my trust and stab me in the back?"

Belle and Archie exchanged looks once more, "Because you are our friend Emma. We would never lie to you." Belle said sternly as she locked eyes with the blonde, "We are on your side."

Emma looked away not seeing a lie, but now the issue was where to begin. As if sensing her hesitation, Archie suggested, "Tell me what is happening."

"My brain is seeing some memories as shiny…" Emma stated as she kept her gaze away from Archie and Belle, however her voice cold and distant. It was like she was her darker persona once more as she continued, "I am seeing my family and Killian…even Regina and they are tormenting me and torturing me as they morphed into demon like creatures. They keep saying that my family and Killian are dead…and they abandoned me…" Emma shook herself as she heard disembodied voices in her head and then small flashes of faceless people, taking on the form of the very people she was describing, came to her.

Archie nodded as he made notes and Belle went further into the back. Coming back moment later, she handed Emma a glass of water, "Here."

Emma nodded and took a sip as Archie said, "Tell me about the other memories."

"Sketchy at best. It is like watching a really bad quality of film noir." Seeing the confused looks, Emma sighed, "Really got to bring some culture to this godforsaken town."

Ignoring the sarcastic comment, Archie wrote down what she said and sighed, "They told me that Rumple asked you to say what you knew for certain what was real. Can you tell me what you said?"

"My name is Emma Swan. I am an orphan because I was abandoned on the side of a highway. I grew up in the foster system, and later became a bail-bonds person." Emma repeated back to her emotionless voice as her eyes once again glazed over.

Archie analyzed her for a moment before making a note. He then put his pen and notebook aside and looked at her, "Ok so let us try this. You are certain that is real…yes?"

"Absolutely. I have known that to be true ever since I could remember." Emma stated with conviction returning to her voice.

Archie sat in thought as he watched her closely for a few minutes. This situation was worse than he had originally been told, "I do not want you to overload yourself with information as to what is real or not…" Archie paused not too sure how he should continue his sentence.

"But I thought we were going to play this game." Emma said confused when he did not continue his thought, "I thought that is why you said we were here…"

"We are…well you are, but too much information could be more detrimental and counterproductive; so why don't we start with small steps?" He suggested after a few minutes and seeing her contemplate this, she eventually nodded, "Ok right now…is there anything about either myself or Belle you are confused on?"

He had purposefully started with himself and Belle due to the hostility that was described to him before he began his session with Emma. Belle had been chosen to come with him as for backup, because who knew what would have happened in Emma's emotional state if Snow, David, Henry, or Regina had come in with him. He and Belle exchanged a look with each other as Emma frowned and took to finding the floor interesting. He saw her muttering to herself and he listens as he catches a few words, "Yes…no…real…I am…" Closing her eyes she shakes her head and says as she looks intently at him, "Your fairytale name is Jiminy Cricket. You were turned into a grasshopper because it was your wish to be one. You were in charge of watching over Geppetto." She watches his face closely and seeing his face expressionless, she continues, "When the Evil Queen's curse struck you became Dr. Archie Hooper. You were Henry's therapist due to his obsession with the curse. We first met because I was concerned about his obsession and you gave me his file, but later got me arrested because you claimed I stole it." His face was still expression, but if she looked closely she could see guilt in his eyes, "Real or not real?"

Archie looked into her challenging eyes as if daring him to lie to her. Sighing deeply he said, "Real. The reason why you were arrested was Regina forced me to set you up. I had not yet had any memories of my previous life and she pretty much threatened me, to which I was still deeply ashamed."

Emma nodded and accepted his answer. She thought for a moment, and looked at Belle, "You were forced to live with Gold because he promised to protection from the Ogres. You two eventually fell in love and despite your love to Gold, he would not let go of his power. Real or not real?"

Belle looked at Emma and sighed, "Real. He had a hard time of letting the darkness go, because of the power it had. It wasn't until the apprentice forced the power to leave did he start to wise up."

Emma nodded and looked back at the ground. They were telling the truth, "Ok…" Her tone was again emotionless and her expression was vacant.

Archie and Belle looked at each other wondering what that ok meant. They tried to look at her eyes, but they were void of any type of expression in their hazel depths. Taking a few more minutes, they were about to ask if everything was ok when Emma spoke again, "May I talk to Hen-I mean the boy?"

Archie almost cocked his head to the side in confusion. How could Emma disassociate herself from her own son? The boy was everything to her, it was her thoughts of him that prevented her from going full dark. Considering her request, he nods, knowing that perhaps Henry could bring her out of this, "Uhm…sure. Hold on," Archie said as he got up, "I'll see if he is up to it." Looking towards Belle he nodded and she followed him out of the room.

Once they were in front of the shop, they were immediately bombarded with questions. Archie held up a hand and they snapped their mouths closed, "She wants to talk to Henry."

Henry stepped forward, but Regina and surprisingly Snow placed hands on his shoulders and held him back, "NO!" Regina and Snow said. Regina looked at Snow in surprise (as did everyone else). Keeping her eyes on Snow she started to explain, "She nearly killed him and us. There is no way that I am allowing Henry in there."

"I agree with Regina." Snow said as they looked to her now, "Emma, would never forgive herself if she hurts him. I mean look what happened with Killian. Didn't you see what she looked like when she snapped out of whatever episode she was having?"

Henry sighed and asked, "What does she want to talk to me about?"

Archie looked to Belle and explained, "What Emma is experiencing is actually what Mr. Gold already explained. Except it is worse than you all thought." He saw they were waiting for a more in depth explanation, he sighed again, "It would seem, and since I never experienced a case like this mind you, not even in the false memories that were given to me," looked stole a look at Regina as he said this and then back to the group, "it would seem that the darkness took certain memories and brought them to the front of Emma's mind. Particularly in this case memories that are associated with all of you being her loved ones and friends." He motioned to the group in front of him, "So what it did, again this is speculation, it played those memories under a stimulus. I am not sure how the Dark One's power affects the psyche or what kind of stimulus is used." He looked at Gold as he said this.

Gold sighed as everyone looked at him wanting more information, "It depends on the person as to what the power can feed off of. For me personally it was power. I was a coward and wanted enough power to save my son. I also feared that power and figured I could save my son and make sure that power was never abused." He looked down in shame and Belle gently comforted him.

"It's ok, you are not that man anymore." Belle said easily, "You are a better man now."

"It uses your insecurities and warps your perception on everyone and everything." Gold trailed off not hearing or recognizing Belle, it was like he was trapped in his own memories, "It picks at you and your mind until eventually you give into it and there is nothing left of the person who you used to be."

Everyone was silent pondering this until David spoke up, "But what about Emma?"

"If I had to guess, the Dark Ones used words and images associated with the desired memories and once she remembered the events that is when they started warping them beyond recognition. My guess is that the memories were altered by the hallucination effects and Emma started to associate those memories with fear and pain." Archie stated sadly as he watched his two friends share a devastated look.

"But my mom is strong. She knows what is false…" Henry said in denial, "She was taken by surprise. I know I should have approached her more cautiously." The adults looked at him with sad eyes. He then looked away, and shook Regina and Snow's hands off of him, "How could she not realize what the darkness did?" Henry was now slightly frightened as the events came back to him and Archie's words re-played in his head…Emma wanted to talk to him…so did he really want to talk to her?

Archie looked at the boy. The same boy that he had the pleasure of watching grow up into this brave young man, "It is due to the disorienting effects help to camouflage the falsity of the memories. Afterwards, the brain stores the memory in the new form, along with the negative associations with those memories." He then looked at everyone else in the room and then got back into his professional mode, "I know I have some moral obligation to keep my patient's confidentially, but I am also obligated to give up that confidentially if I deem my patient to be a danger to him or herself." Swallowing a lump he looked at his friends and then with Regina and then Gold, before resting on Henry, "Emma described to me that her brain is seeing some memories as shiny. The shiny memories consist of seeing you all," he motions to David, Snow, Henry, and Regina, "Killian tormenting her and torturing her. However she also said that you all shift into demon like creatures, saying that you all are dead…and abandoned her…"

"But we did not abandon her." Regina was the first to speak after getting over the shock, "If anything she abandoned us! We were with her through everything in Camelot, and she is the one who pushed us away!"

Everyone looked at the former Evil Queen in surprise. Even Henry was surprised to see the genuine hurt in his adoptive mother's eyes and voice. He knew that Emma and Regina had begun to develop a friendship, after all he noticed how 'Ms. Swan' turned into 'Emma' at some point, "I understand that, and believe me in my professional opinion we should all talk about this at some point, but if I am correct in my assumptions and with the information that Rumplestiltskin just gave us, then this trauma that happened with Emma happened over months perhaps a year."

"A year?! She was the Dark One for like a little over two months!" Snow exclaimed. David came to her side immediately and placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Well a lot of factors add up to it. I mean the initial shock when she took on the mantel of the Dark One, and her time in the Underworld-"

"Which was for all of a half hour or so!" Snow cut in again. David tried to calm her so she turned on him, "Do not try and calm me down right now!"

"Look there are time differences between the realms. What is a half hour to us, could be a year or more in another." Belle said breaking the tense silence that descended in the room, "It would make sense given Emma's…violent tendencies towards all of you."

Archie nodded seeing everyone looking back at him, "Yes that is what I am saying. These things take time and to the extent of the damage that was done…major time was required."

"So what is going to happen now?" Henry asked silently, "How can we help?"

"Well I suggested a little game," everyone began to open their mouths to retort and violently question, when Archie held up his hands, "whoa ok hold on and let me explain. I call it 'Real or not real'. Instead of trying to overload her with memories, let her start describing a scenario, and when she says real or not real, you tell her if it is or is not followed by an explanation. That should hopefully allow her brain to accept those memories and slowly…excuse the term…delete the false ones."

Everyone looked at each other and slowly nodded in acceptance, "So we let her start the conversation and then guide her to the right memory?" David asked slowly and Archie nodded, "And is she thinks we are lying?"

"She might be suspicious at first and it may take a while, but she is still our Emma…she still has her…what did she call it? Superpower." Seeing this was not helping to making anyone feel better, he sighed, "Look think of this as the old Emma, when had she really ever jumped the gun unless she thought someone was lying to her?"

No response was given and Regina shook her head and crossed her arms, "Ok fine. We will try it your way." However she narrowed her eyes and said, "But I still refuse to allow Henry to go in and talk to Emma by himself."

"In regards to that, with all due respect, it does not matter what you want. It is what Emma wants and right now, she wants to talk to Henry. She is chained to the couch with magic blocking cuffs." Archie argued loudly seeing that David, Snow, and Regina were going to violently object, "She is calm right now, and believe me it really isn't us," he motions to himself and Belle, "that she deep down really wants to talk to."

Henry looks around the room at his mother's face, and then at his grandparents, even towards his grandfather and Belle. Each wore different looks of pain, and reluctance, "Henry…" He looks to Archie now, "I would never have you do something that you do not want to do…but I think that it would help your mother."

His mother…the Savior, the power of True Love, the symbol of hope, and for a brief period of being the Dark One. However she was also the sheriff, a human being that had been brutally tortured, and his mother. Swallowing he nodded, "Ok. I'll talk to her."

Archie nodded and before him and Henry could move, Regina grabbed his arm making Henry look right at her, "We will stay outside the door, and if we should hear anything threatening we will pull you out."

"What would you consider threatening?" Archie inquired.

"If she sneezes wrong." Regina stated, "And if he should get hurt, I will make my past look like complete child's play compared what I will do to you…and once Emma is better, you will feel her wrath as well. Do I make myself clear insect?" Archie went pale and his mouth went dry as he nodded and led Henry away.

The group followed and stood outside as Henry walked into the room. He saw Emma talking to someone on the chairs that had been previously been occupied by Archie and Belle. As he approached her, he could hear better at what she was saying, "My name is Emma Swan. I am an orphan because I was abandoned on the side of a highway. I grew up in the foster system, and later became a bail-bonds person."

"Mom?" Emma snapped her head up to look at Henry. He noticed how dark and almost cloudy her eyes were and even took notice how pale she looked. He held back a flinch as she yanked on the cuffs that were chained to the couch. She yanked on them for a few more seconds before sighing and giving up. Shaking her head and reopening her eyes, he said softly, "Hey."

Emma remained silent and said, "Hey."

There was silence as Henry hesitantly took a chair right across from her. Her penetrating untrusting gaze never leaving him. It was unnerving to him as he watched her…the eyes that no longer held any love for him and that one simple word ' _Hey_ ', the way she said it was almost like she was the Dark Swan again, "Archie said you wanted to talk to me." He says tentatively.

Emma said nothing to him as she watched him. It was almost like she did not even hear him. After a few moments he shifted in his seat with nerves. Even when he was going to meet her for the first time in Boston, he was never this nervous, "Well talk yes." He jumped when she finally spoke and he looked at her, "Although look at you." He looks at himself and wonders what is wrong, "Not very big, nor are you particular handsome looking." Her words hurt and before he could speak, she continues, "How the hell could you possibly be my son?"

Henry nearly stood up to shake her and demand why she was saying this, but knew that any sudden move would be threatening, "Well, you've looked better." He retorted forcing to keep his temper in check and reminded himself that this was not his mother right now.

Emma laughed, but it wasn't like her normal laughter and he looked at her confused, "Wow you are also not known for you personality I imagine huh?"

"You know I think I am going to go now." Henry said as he got up and made his way towards the door, trying to not allow her comments bother him.

"Wait. I remember Boston." Henry stops short as he reached for the knob on the door. It was their very first connection.

"I came to get you to bring you to Storybrooke." He says slowly as he turns to look at her.

There is not a trace of hostility in her eyes or in her voice, but her voice reminded him of how Regina used to talk to him when he started to talk to her about the curse being real, "To break some curse."

"It was the Dark Curse the Evil Queen cast to bring the fairytale characters to the Land without Magic to destroy their happy endings." Henry elaborated as he slowly went back over to her.

Emma nodded slowly, taking in his words, "It was my birthday. I just got home from capturing a bail jumper." Looking back at him she said, "You brought up so many painful memories for me."

"I didn't know at the time." Henry said, "You were not very forthcoming about my father. You lied and told me he was dead."

Emma snorted and dished the same attitude he had just given her. Tit for tat as it were, "Might as well have been. He was dead to me." He knew that Emma was mad at Neal, but to put it so bluntly hurt, especially since he knew that they had reconciled after being told what happened when he had gotten his memories back.

"You loved him." Henry said softly reigning his temper back in. Everything Emma was saying was hurting him. It was dismissive and unemotional, at least when she was the Dark One she still had some traces of her old self.

Emma scoffed, "Love is weakness. That traitor did not deserve any love I had for him." Before Henry could respond, Emma continued talking, "Just like I do not understand how I could love you. Clearly you are not my son."

This was the final straw, Henry turned and threw the door open causing the people that were listening to the conversation to nearly fall over in shock, "She is not my mother." Henry said and before anyone could stop him, he ran out of the shop trying to fight back the tears that were forming in his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok so finals are officially over with. Fingers crossed that I finally get to graduate and be done with school! Now here is the reward for me being done…another chapter! Wootness!

Btw sorry for what I put Henry through. It'll get a bit better…eventually. Seeing as the mid-season finale totally ripped my heart out and crushed it to tiny ity-bity pieces…and add to the fact that Killian did not go to the Underworld in the beginning of my story and I did hint that Emma did go there briefly…we are ignoring the mid-season finale in this. So that being said, it is fanfiction for a reason, before anyone calls me out on events and whatnot, let me save you the trouble and say, "Get over yourselves."

 **Real or Not Real?**

"So remind us again why we are babysitting your daughter?" Grumpy asked as he looked between Emma in the cell with the cuffs on her wrists and glaring murderously at the group, then back at the group in front of him.

The dwarves were called to the station, and when they had gotten there, they had seen the sheriff yelling and threatening their leaders, Archie, Belle, the former Dark One, and the Evil Queen within the very inch of their lives. Archie had tried to calm Emma down by explaining why she was in the cell and how it was safer for everyone in her current state of mind, however she had also tried to reason (very loudly) that he was being brainwashed and that everyone needed protecting from the 'demonic evil demons'. Eventually things had fallen silent and Regina had painstakingly explained the reason why all this was happening.

However that did not stop Emma from trying to counter everything that was being said, "Look just keep her calm and try and talk to her. You two had gotten close as friends before right?" Snow asked, or nearly begged.

"And what are we supposed to do if she gets free?" Doc asked nervously as he looked towards the blonde, who aggravatedly sighed and sat on the cot in frustration muttering expletives.

"She won't. Those cuffs have blocked her from using magic." Gold said rather sadly, "She shouldn't be of any problems."

The dwarves reluctantly nodded, "Alright we will do it." Grumpy said as he looked at his friend.

"Thank you. We will be back tomorrow to try and talk to her again." David said.

"She may talk to you about past events she is not sure about. If she says 'real or not real', just answer her and elaborate on the event in question to the best of your ability." Archie advised and with that the group left.

"So who has first watch?" Sneezy asked as he bit back a sneeze, remembering the last time he had sneezed he was turned to stone by Emma.

Dopey dug into his pocket and pulled out seven straws and tugged on Grumpy's sleeve to show him, "Seriously?" He asked glaring at the offending objects in his hand. Dopey nodded furiously and glared at his 'brother' as if pointing out how many times they solved problems by using these things…and the end result him drawing the short straw, "Alright let's do this." Grumpy stated getting the message crystal clear.

Emma was watching curiously as they drew the straws and seeing that Grumpy had the first shift, the other's left for a bit claiming they were going to help with clean up. Once they left, Grumpy pulled a chair right up to her cell, "So apparently you are stuck here with me?" she asked him casually, not moving from her spot on the cot.

"Appears so sister." Grumpy growled out with his arms crossed, "I drew the short straw on this."

"Ok then…" She said leaning back. They sat in silence for a good minute as Emma closed her eyes to think for a bit. Small flashes of memory came to her in bits and pieces about the dwarf.

Grumpy was perplexed as he watched her closely. It was unnerving to see the fiery sheriff and Savior this quiet and this on edge about everyone. It almost reminded him of the woman that had first came to Storybrooke. In fact he was so lost in thought about how everything changed so rapidly that he almost missed her say, "Your originally name was not Grumpy…it was Dreamy. Real or not real?"

He felt his heart stop and stomach plummet. That was a name he had not heard in years, and a name he did not wish to hear ever again; despite the fact that him and Nova were on slightly better terms although with everything that had been happening since the curse broke they hadn't really had the time to fully reconnect. None the less, seeing Emma looking at him with narrow eyes, he swallowed a lump that formed in his throat and said, "Real."

"What happened? Why did you change your name?" Emma asked. She felt as if she knew the story, but wanted him to tell it to her anyway. Besides it would help her to see if this dwarf could actually be trusted.

"It is a long story." He said after a few minutes. In all honesty, Grumpy did not want to go into it. In fact he was tempted to call one of his brothers back and bolt faraway from this situation as possible.

"Does it look like I am going anywhere?" Emma asked critically as she held up her hands and then motioned to the cell.

Knowing that she was right, Grumpy began to tell his story, "Well I guess you can say it started a long time ago in the Enchanted Forest…"

In the meantime, back at the loft, Snow and David sat in the kitchen. They had just placed Neal to bed, and Regina had called to say that Robin was staying on Hook's ship and that Henry was at her house holed up in his room. They had made plans to meet up at Granny's the next morning before trying to talk to Emma again. This did nothing to place their minds at ease though. In fact it only cemented their worry and anxiety fueled emotions, "How?" Snow eventually asked as she leaned back in her chair and pushed her cinnamon hot chocolate away.

"Snow?" David asked confused as he came out of his own dark thoughts.

"How come we can never catch a damn break in this godforsaken family?" Snow elaborated on her previous thought to her husband, "I mean ever since the first curse broke it has been one problem after another; and each time Emma had to fight either to get back to Henry or save this damned town! Like she had lost everything time and time again…we have lost everything time and time again! So how does this keep happening?"

David shook his head. He wanted to comfort Snow, but he did not even know how to comfort himself when he had been thinking almost the exact same thing, "I do not know." He whispered out as he too pushed his hot chocolate away not in the mood to drink the beverage that had always brought some kind of comfort, "I cannot give you an answer."

"I do not want answers…I want a solution. I want whatever secret curse that is on this family lifted. I want to understand what I need to do to make everything right…I want our daughter to be happy." She whispered out the last part as she stood up from her chair and began to pace the kitchen.

David got up and pulled her into a hug, and for once this evening she allowed herself to cry and breakdown. She had remained strong not only in Camelot, but throughout everything else. She hardly allowed herself to break except for a very brief instant during the terror of the Snow Queen, "It'll be ok." David whispered as he rubbed circles on her back, also trying to convince himself that the words he would speak next were true, "We will get through this."

"How?" Snow asked as she buried herself in his chest, "How are we going to get through this? If she did not trust us before when she found out we were her parents, how are we going to get her to trust us when she thinks we are here to kill her?"

"Together."

"You heard what she said to Henry though. He is her son, our grandson, she all but broke him in a matter of minutes." Snow said helplessly, "I mean this is as worse as it can get. Like I can't even imagine a scenario that is worse. We have her physically, but emotionally and mentally…she is not Emma."

And it was true, David realized with an already sinking heart. This is as bad as it gets, however he knew that despite his own doubts, he needed to be strong…at least while Snow was with him, "I know it is bad, you do not need to tell me. However let's just do what Archie said and take one day at a time." Pulling away he made Snow look at him, "Ok?"

Snow looked into his eyes to try and see any doubt in his words. Eventually she sighed and nodded, "You are right. One day at a time." Leaning up she gently kissed him and wished him good night before going to their room. He watched her leave before taking their filled mugs and dumping the contents down the drain. As he began to wash them, he allowed his own tears to silently fall and silently break; not knowing that Snow was in the same position in their bedroom. Both tried to pull themselves together, however the both of them momentarily forgot about their shared heart and despite being in separate rooms, they both felt the guilt and pain and allowed it to consume themselves for the remainder of the night.

Henry, true to Regina's words, was holed up in his room. As soon as he bolted from the shop, he ran back to Regina's house…his house. He could not stand going to the loft that held so many memories of his other mother, the one that was the Savior. The woman he had talked to was definitely not her. He had dug underneath his bed and pulled out the book that held all the stories in it. Flicking through the pages, he came across his mother's story and began to read through it.

He knew the beginning by heart as he read of Snow and Charming's sacrifice to save their daughter (August had told him that he had replaced the pages that Emma had burnt), turning the pages he had scanned through their adventures, before pausing on one page in particular…their first curse breaking. His hand shakily touched the page that depicted Emma kissing his forehead, "Oh mom…" He muttered out before continuing on.

Just as he was about to turn another few pages, there was a knock on his door, "Leave me alone." He called not wanting to talk to anyone right now.

However the door opened anyway and he looked up to see that it was Roland, "Hi Henry." The little boy said as he entered the room.

Henry felt his frustration and sadness diminish slightly as the younger boy heaved himself on his bed and looked at the page that he turned to. It was the one of Emma and Killian dancing at Midas's ball, "Hey Roland." Henry muttered as he looked at the picture that captured his soon to be…adoptive step brother…? Henry mentally shook his head, not having the brainpower at the moment to work through the crooked family tree he had.

"Is that your real mommy and her true love?" Roland asked curiously pointing to the page and turning it to get a better look.

"Yup. That is them." Henry said rather sadly as he looked into the real smile that he never really saw on his mom. Sure she smiled, but he never seen one that bright on her until she and Killian started dating.

"She is really pretty in this picture," Roland complimented. He looked at Henry seeing that he did not respond, just merely nod in agreement. The young boy knew that something was going on with Henry's other mother, but what that was, he wasn't entirely sure so he asked, "Is she ok?"

Henry was startled out of his thoughts and quickly thought about the question before responding as he turned the pages of his book, "I do not really know." Henry answered not knowing how to answer that question.

"Did the darkness hurt her, like it hurt Mama Regina?" Roland asked as he pointed to the page that Henry had absentmindedly turned to.

"Huh?" Henry asked as he looked to what Roland was pointing to. He was surprised as to what he saw. On the left page he saw a dark tornado like cloud engulfing Emma, and then on the next page was Emma emerging from the Dark One vault. He did not know how these pages were added. Yes he was the author, but he destroyed the pen so technically there should not be any new stories in the book.

In his shocked state, Roland turned the next few pages as the Camelot story arc came to life before Henry's eyes. Emma had given their memories back moments before of stopping Dark Hook's plan; but to see it written made them the more real. He even saw glimpses of his story coming to life with Violet. Which reminded him that he still had to explain to her as to why his mother was a Dark One to begin with, "Here." Roland pointed as he handed the book back to Henry.

It was one of the final pages in the current storybook (for now at least). It had showed Emma taking in the Darkness and then banishing herself and the Darkness into the Underworld. Looking on to the next page he read the words out loud, "The Savior was trapped in the Underworld for a year. The Dark Ones tormenting her with memories that she thought she long since buried within her heart. It was not until long before she succumbed to their torment did they then release her…if they could not destroy the heroes…then one of their own would…" What? Henry thought to himself.

Roland was watching Henry with curious eyes, and he leaned forward to hug the older boy just like Regina does to him to make him feel better, "It'll be ok. Mama Regina will help make your mommy better."

Henry was surprised by the young boy's words that he accepted the hug. While they had not spent a lot of time together over recent months, he was coming to view the young boy as part of the family; besides it felt nice to have someone other than his grandparents and mothers comforting him, "Thank you Roland. I know she will figure this out."

Regina had been sitting in the kitchen, just having gotten off the phone with Robin, who had given her another update. Apparently Captain Guyliner was not doing so hot, having drunk himself into an alcohol induced sleep after spilling his guts (figuratively and literally) to Robin about what he had done, planned to do, and what he should have done to Robin. After Robin's story, he had asked how everyone was.

So Regina had told him as to what occurred between Emma and Henry, to now where Emma currently is, and that they were all meeting at Granny's in the morning to come up with a more solid plan. Robin had mentioned that he would try to bring Killian if he was up to it. Regina had wanted to decline the idea, but thought better of it. After all, Emma's violent behavior seemed to have been more geared towards Killian than anyone else. After wishing each other a good night, Regina had made her trek up the stairs to check on her niece. Seeing that the baby was still asleep she made a move to check on Roland. She opened the door to find that he wasn't there. Panic started to bubble and she was about to call Robin back when she heard talking coming from Henry's room, "It'll be ok. Mama Regina will help make your mommy better."

She was confused as she quietly made her way to her elder son's room. She silently poked her head in to see Henry and Roland in a comforting embrace, "Thank you Roland. I know she will figure this out."

Regina's heart ached at how much faith the younger boy had in her. Deciding though that she really needed to talk to Henry, she had to ruin this precious moment. Knocking on the door to alert them of her impending intrusion she opened it further, "Hey." She greeted.

"Hi!" Roland greeted happily as he wiggled out of Henry's hug and went over to her, "I helped Henry." He announced happily.

Henry gave Regina a small shrug and smile to show that yes indeed the young boy helped a bit. Regina nodded accepting his answer, although knowing that he needed a bit more comfort, "That's good Roland. Thank you for your help." She said gently to the young boy, "Now time for you to go to bed."

"Aw, but I want to help more." He said pouting slightly.

"I am ok Roland. You really helped me a lot." Henry said giving what he hoped to be a convincing smile.

Roland looked at the older boy, who he viewed, as an older brother. Running back over, he gave Henry another hug, "Are you sure?"

"Yes kid I am sure." Henry internally winced though as he used Emma's nickname for him on Roland, however he ignored the stab in his heart for now.

"Ok." Roland said pulling away looking Henry in the eyes one more time, "Remember what I said? Mama Regina will save Auntie Emma."

Regina winced as she felt a slight pain in her heart as Roland had gotten off the bed and gave her one more hug before leaving the room. Holding up a finger to Henry, she poked her head out making sure that Roland made it to his room and closed the door. Turning back to her older son, she crossed her arms and looked at him, "So want to tell me the truth?"

"I kind of did. He has faith that you save Emma." He noticed Regina's face fall at the proclamation, "I have faith too. I am just…"

"Upset?" Regina questioned as she occupied Roland's spot on the bed, "That wasn't her. What happened at Gold's, that was not Emma and you know it."

"But it was her though…in some retrospect. Look," he shoved the book at her. He watched her expression as she flicked though the pages, "I did not write that. I destroyed the pen, so I do not know how those got there but it tells everything that has happened so far. Look at what it did to her…" He pointed to the passage in question.

Regina's sick feeling only grew as she read the passages and she sighed before closing the book, "That does not mean anything aside from affirming what Archie, Belle, and Gold told us before."

"But that is just it. Who knows how long it will take before she is healed? Aside from that, how are we supposed to help if she is going to treat us as if we are the villains?"

Regina pulled Henry into a side hug and squeezed his shoulder, "If it is one thing I learned, it is that anything can be solved if we work together. Your grandparents, unfortunately, taught me that as did Emma. She did not give up on me, and I will not give up on her." Henry pulled away as he looked at her, searching for something in her gaze. Sighing again she elaborated on her explanation, "I was going to have you keep an eye on Roland and the baby, but considering you are old enough and circumstances forced you to be in this deep with us, we will take them to the fairies early in the morning and you can come with me to Granny's so you can be a part of the planning process. If we are going to try and help Emma, we are going to need a plan…an operation." She watched as his eyes lit up at this.

"Really? You are not going to try and keep me in the dark this time to protect me?" Henry asked searching for any trace of good intention deceit.

"What is really the point? We try and protect you and yet you somehow wind up in our mess anyway." Regina stated as she got up off the bed.

"Glad you finally learned." Henry said cheekily at he felt smug at this small victory despite himself.

Regina snorted as she crossed her arms, trying to maintain some kind of parental control, "Clearly you have been around Emma too much. When all this is done, I will have to talk to her about her attitude rubbing off on you."

This brought up something that Henry had been wondering about earlier in the evening, "When did you start calling her Emma?"

"What?" Regina asked as she was lost in thought in the lapse of silence.

"Mom…when did you start calling her Emma instead of Ms. Swan?" Henry asked looking at the former Evil Queen.

Regina looked at her son as if searching for any reason why, besides sheer curiosity, he would want to know. Seeing nothing but the innocent curiosity, she pondered it herself before shrugging, "I do not know when things really began to change. Probably after you were taken to Neverland our…relationship…got a bit better. We came to have a mutual understanding that later turned into a friendship." That was probably an over simplified version, but that was all she could think of. When exactly she and Emma became friends was hard to pin-point, but that did not matter because she had come to enjoy having the blonde as a friend…or if she dared to admit it to herself: best friend.

Henry nodded accepting this answer. He knew that he was the ultimate bridge between the two women, but it was nice and he allowed himself to smirk as a thought came to him, "What?" Regina questioned seeing the look on his face and not liking it one bit.

"Well it's just that it's ironic. You are best friends with your step-daughter's daughter. The same step-daughter that you were so determined to destroy." Seeing that she was not taking it as twisted humor, he backtracked, "I mean it is nice do not get me wrong, but even you have to admit the irony in this. Considering that Emma is technically your step-granddaughter."

"Ok that is enough of reminiscing our twisted family tree, and of course reminding me of how old I really am. Time for bed. Now." She said with an air of finality to her voice as he was about to protest.

"Ok fine, and can I add just one more thing?" Henry asked as Regina placed the book down on his nightstand. She started to tuck him in, surprised that he was not really protesting in the action.

Regina quirked an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Our tree isn't so much as twisted as it is really crooked." He said with a charming smile.

"Good night Henry." Regina said exasperated as she kissed him on the forehead and walked to the door.

"Night Mom." He called back and watched as she turned off the lights, but before she closed the door, he called out, "I love you."

"I love you too." She said and shut his door. Leaning against it, she gently rested her head on it and looked up at the ceiling wondering how could he have such faith in her to save the blonde when she did not really have all that much faith in herself, considering Emma was not really dark when she was the Dark One...


	4. Chapter 4

**Real or Not Real?**

Emma watched as Grumpy laughed at the memory he was telling her. In fact she did not think she would enjoy the dwarf's company since he was so close to the demons that were trying to hurt her and had harmed her family, but she was beginning to see that he was not too bad, "So yea, that was my life in the Enchanted Forest. When Snow and David took back the kingdom," he remembered not to use the 'p' word around Emma especially after seeing her reaction to it a few times, "we started to stay in the castle."

Emma nodded and they sat in silence for a brief moment as she reflected on the information she learned from him. He had told her everything that had happened, how there was once actually eight dwarves, and how they had saved Snow White and helped take back the kingdom…but there was still something he was avoiding. The aftermath of the curse. Of course she did not ask him directly about what was real or not in this land, but then again he had been so raptured about the tales from his homeland, she found herself becoming interested too.

Grumpy was surprised at how well he had told Emma the stories from the Forest. Of course given that he could have pointed her to the book, he figured it would have been better if he had just told her straight up, and with that surprisingly he found that the wounds of his past were not all that deep and raw anymore and it was easier to talk to her than he thought it would be. In fact his brothers had returned periodically to relieve him from his shift of watching Emma and he had declined every single one of them, "So what happened next?"

"Next?" Grumpy asked crossing his arms and situating his position on the chair.

"Yea, you all took back the kingdom and everything. Which was pretty cool, much better than Disney obviously, but what came next? Like what happened with the curse?" Emma inquired situating herself better as well to almost match his posture.

Grumpy sighed, now wishing he had taken that break when Dopey had come in a half hour ago. It was already morning and getting close to breakfast time, Snow had texted him that they would be in to see Emma after they had breakfast, "I think you know that sister…" He said knowing that after listening and watching her that her mind wasn't as screwed up as they made it sound. Of course he can tell there is some rage directed at certain parties, but to him she is the same rational Emma she was before the Dark One curse took her.

Emma was watching him now, wondering briefly why he would not tell her this. As she was thinking about the reasons as to why he did not want to talk about this, a small throb of pain came to her as memories started to present themselves to her. The pain in her head suddenly became overwhelming as she leans forward to bury her head in her hands. She is vaguely aware of Grumpy calling her name in concern, but the memories are too powerful and painful to ignore as she sees quick flashes in her mind's eye: a kid in an apartment, a woman giving her a drink, a wolf in the middle of the road, and two voices talking (one of them she realizes is Grumpy), and then finally settling on a face of a man with brown hair and blue eyes looking at her kindly with a beard and accent, " _Regina's drinks are a little stronger than we thought_."

"Graham," Emma whispers out eventually as she comes out of her visions.

"What?" Grumpy asks shocked. No one had spoken that name in a long time of the former sheriff of Storybrooke, Maine. Besides that, he was surprised how quick the atmosphere in the room changed since their relaxed talk ended.

Emma glares at him this time she stands, and goes over to the bars, hands gripping the iron so tight her knuckles turn white, "Your cursed name is Leroy. You were considered the town drunk. We technically had our first encounter when I was locked up for a supposed DUI." She was fuming now, and she could not really explain why…just that an uncontrollable rage came over her as she recalled Graham in her memories…and the woman who served her a drink on her first night in the town, Regina.

Grumpy nodded as she paused, "Real." While she did not ask if that memory was true, it was implied.

"Graham was the former sheriff, he died. The autopsy said heart-attack. Real or not real?" Emma asked violently as she glared at the dwarf.

Grumpy swallowed a lump in his throat. The air was suddenly full of static and thick as he looked at the Savior. He then looked at the cuffs and unnoticed by Emma, the black color of them were starting to turn red…now he is not an expert on magic, but if he was told Emma should not have access to her powers while wearing the cuffs…how is she having access to magic? Seeing that Emma was waiting for an answer, he said, "Real, but…we kind of know better." He did not imply anything, but this was all it took for Emma to lose it, at which point he realized this was the wrong thing to say to her.

"Regina killed him. She crushed his heart. Real or not real?"

Grumpy did not want to answer. He knew that after everything Regina had done in the past couple of months, she deserved to be protected. Not thrown under the bus, which he had unintentionally did; trying to deflect and backtrack a bit to save the woman in question, he quickly responded, "It was ruled a heart-"

"Real or not real?!" Emma yelled. Just then there was a brilliant flash of magic that Grumpy had to shield his eyes. When he opened them he saw that the cuffs burned off, and the cell bars gone, leaving Emma standing glaring menacing at him in a black leather jacket, with jeans and a pair of black heeled boots, "She killed Graham like she killed Henry! Real or not real?!"

There was still a strong static of magic surrounding her, but slowly coming out of his shock at what happened, he was driven into another sense of shock as to what she just said, "Wait what?" Grumpy asked, "Regina did not kill Henry! She would never hurt that boy!"

When she had started to remember Graham, another memory had come to her and that was of Henry's death. He is dead, Emma thought as images raced past her mind, they are both dead…she took them from me…she killed him; the whispers in her mind continued as they commented on the images of their bodies; Graham's in her arms and Henry's on a hospital bed, "You lied dwarf, but it is a good thing that you are not my target." She growled out and before he could do anything, she disappeared in a flash of light and purple smoke.

Grumpy was still sitting in shock, and a few minutes later, he heard the sound of the door opening, "Hey we are back with-" Sneezy started to say as the scene they walked in on came to view, "Whoa what the heck happened?"

"Yea were is Emma?" Doc asked confused and concerned as he took in Grumpy's shock and frightened appearance.

Happy stepped forward, "Maybe she went for a walk…"

"Unless you call disappearing in a cloud of smoke and light a 'walk'," Yes Grumpy used the air quotes as he tried to regain composure, making a move to stand and allowing the events to catch up to him, "then yes she did."

"Well it is a lovely day for one." Bashful added shyly as he took a step back from his brother, not wishing to tempt him further.

"Or take a nap." Suggested Sleepy, as he yawned and stretched, totally missing the sarcasm.

Dopey put the coffees on the desk and made a hand motion to the cell and then to the door as his motions became more quick and urgent, "Yes I know she escaped." Grumpy growled at him, "I was there. Now we have to find the others and let them know we lost their daughter/mad savior."

"You mean you lost their daughter/mad savior." Doc pointed out, "We tried to give you a break."

"Whatever! It does not matter. I think Emma is going to kill Regina. We have to find them." Grumpy said as he began to run out of the station with the others following him.

"They are at the diner eating breakfast." Sneezy muffled out against his sleeve as he sneezed into it.

Before anyone else can comment, there was yelling and people running out of the diner. They paused watching, "So do we go in?" Bashful asked again.

"Yea I have to explain Emma's latest freak-out." So much for the halfway stable mind.

"What the bloody hell is happening?" Their heads turned to see Killian, Robin, Archie, Gold, and Belle running over to them. It was Killian that had spoken as they stopped in front of the dwarves and watched as more people came flooding out of the diner.

Grumpy sighed and started to explain, each person wearing faces of distraught, "So that is that. She thinks that Henry is dead and Regina killed Graham."

"Not saying anything, but Regina was never formally-" Archie started to say in her defense.

"Oh come off it Hopper, we know she-" Grumpy started to argue back.

"Now is not the time," Robin said intervening, "We should probably go in there and do something."

Killian looked towards the diner seeing that all seemed quiet now, "Well looks like everything calmed down." In truth he was afraid, afraid to go inside to see the destruction or anguish in his love's eyes. Also too, if she was this enraged at Regina and compared to how she looked at him yesterday night.

"Could be the calm before the storm." Archie said, "And Henry did die to her, when he was placed under the sleeping curse. So she could be in a memory, but I would have to see to be sure."

Everyone looked to Gold, who was in a lost train of thought, "What do you think?" Belle asked him softly.

"I cannot say for sure, the Dark One's curse affects people differently. I am learning this as we go along I am afraid." He responded slowly as he looked at everyone.

Just then there was another swarm of people that were running out of the diner. Exchanging one last look, they ran towards the enterance.

 **-Before Emma's grand entrance in the diner-**

After dropping the baby and Roland off with the fairies, Henry and Regina had also run into Snow and David who were dropping Neal off as well. So the four of them had walked to Granny's and taken their usual booth in the back. Keeping the conversations low key when a server came over to take their order, they were just waiting on Archie, Robin, Killian, Belle, and Gold to join them, "So once everyone else gets here, what are we going to discuss?" Henry asked once she left to go place their order, relieved to be a part of this mission instead of forcing to watch on the sidelines, just to join in later.

"Probably plan on how to best approach Emma, so that she doesn't feel like we are cornering her again." David answered slowly. He would rather not have Henry join them after seeing what happened last night, but he did know that Henry would just join in later or somehow be forced to get involved.

Snow nodded in approval, her thoughts along the same lines as Charming's; besides Emma is his mother, so he has every right to help, "Take things slow and hope that after having the night to cool off, she is in a better mind frame." She added to David's answer.

Regina still was not feeling all that optimistic. In fact she felt a weight in the pit of her stomach that had not been there since coming home from the hell that was Camelot. Once again she found herself being placed in the position of the Savior, however there seemed to be a lot more riding on this considering that Emma was no longer 'acting', "We also need a more affirmative…" Regina paused as the three of them looked at her now, searching for the word that would describe the problem at hand without labeling Emma in any sort of way. Thinking of none, she settled with, "diagnosis from Archie, so we have to hope that he managed to get his thoughts in line so we can hopefully see an end-game to this once and for all."

"But we know the end-game." Henry said as he pulled his book from his backpack, "It is stated here." He had flipped through the pages and pointed to the passage that he had showed her last night.

Snow and David looked at each other and then back at the book, "What is this?" Snow asked as she pulled the book towards them to get a better angle.

Henry started to explain what he was thinking after his small confrontation with Emma the night before, "So when I started to flip through the book I found that." He finished.

"And you did not write this?" David asked slowly as he re-read the passage explaining what had happened to Emma during her 'brief' stint in the Underworld.

"No, I said I destroyed the pen. Hence why I couldn't re-write what happened to Mom before." Henry explained taking the book back from them and placing in his backpack once more.

"So I guess that is something else we have to talk to Gold about." Snow suggested looking at her step-mother's troubled expression.

Regina thought about this before saying, "In all honesty I would rather not work with him anymore than we have to. Just because I want to see if he is actually different," she said before anyone could argue with her. Then looking at Snow and David she made a point of finishing with, "You know how he can be when he wants to be."

Snow and David conceded to her reasoning, "The fairies?" David suggested, "Think they have an idea?"

"Who knows, but let's focus on your daughter for now." Looking at her watch she sighed, "Where are they?" She asked as the server came with their drinks and food.

Just as she was about to pull her phone out to call Robin, the door was slammed open and, "Regina!" Heads spun at the furious voice, and everyone was in shock as they caught sight of their Savior standing in the doorway looking murderously at the Mayor.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed as he made a move to get out of the booth. His mind was spinning with possibilities as to what had driven Emma to this rage, and not seeing the cuffs on her wrists he wondered how she had gotten out.

"No," Regina said stopping him, "Stay here. Do not do anything. Either of you." She added looking at Snow and David as well as Henry, "I will handle this." It was obvious that somehow something triggered Emma's mental madness, but what she did not understand was how did Emma break the cuffs?

Getting up she walks over to Emma slowly and trying to act as unthreatening as possible, leaving a foot of space between them, "Emma, is everything ok?" Regina asked slowly, surprising everyone in the diner with how soft and gentle her voice was.

Emma looks at her and other flashes along with the whispers come to her. After a few moments she says, "You are the Evil Queen. You cursed everyone in the Enchanted Forest to this damned realm. You destroyed multiple lives, making life here a living hell; including mine. Real or not real?"

Regina swallowed a bit and quickly scanned the room. It was clear that while the people in the diner were well aware of Emma being the Dark One along with Killian and that the darkness was destroyed, it was still a new fact that Emma was suffering the after affects and that it was not clear as to what the problem was. She sent, what she hoped to be, a reassuring look that she had this under control and to not panic. Locking eyes with Emma she said, "Real. It was the time of the first curse, and I was very angry and-"

Emma cut her off, not caring for that detail or excuses. In her mind only two things mattered, "You killed Graham. Real or not real?" That was the first.

Regina's eyes widened. His name had not been mentioned by Emma in a real long while. She then turned to Henry, Snow, and David sitting at the table, their eyes also wide. Looking back at Emma, and having everyone watching the confrontation she sighed and said, "Real, but Emma please let me-"

"No!" Emma yelled as she took a step forward and Regina took a step back, "I knew it! You killed him! He did absolutely nothing aside from coming to me because he was absolutely miserable!"

Regina was shocked at this and somehow an event that she had not thought about for a long time entered her mind as Emma continued, "Like did you ever once stop to think that maybe the problem wasn't with me, but with you?"

"Excuse me?" Regina asked as she felt something run down her spine. Those words echoed in her head with familiarity as she watched Emma's eyes starting to glaze over to a much darker shade of hazel. Then she knew why, those words were said at her father's mausoleum. The final night she saw Graham alive.

"You heard me," Emma nearly snarled out, "Henry came and found me. Graham kissed me. Both were miserable. Maybe, Madam Mayor, you should have taken a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that was. Why was everyone running away from you?" She spat out, then suddenly she closed her eyes and quickly turned away and began to hold her head in pain.

Regina was standing in shock as the words crashed down on her, and a moment later she starts watching Emma as she is muttering to herself. People are starting to leave and run out the door, as if sensing an eruption about to occur, but Regina does not care one bit as she catches the few words that Emma is speaking: Gave it to me, stop thinking, and finally she hears her call Henry's name. Seeing that more people are starting to leave and turning to see pained expressions on Snow, David, and Henry's face, Regina turns back to Emma and finally speaks, "Emma what are you seeing?" Regina asks slowly.

Emma shook her head as more voices and images are coming to her. Finally the pain stops and she says, "You…you did this." Turning back around she says again, voice low and predatory like, "You did this."

Suddenly before anyone could react, Emma grabs Regina and throws her against a wall, "MOM!" Henry exclaims as he tries to move to get to them, but Snow and David hold him back, as Regina struggles to defend herself.

It was at this point most of the people are running out of the diner, and Archie, Belle, Gold, Killian and Robin with the rest of the dwarves enter just as the fight is ending with Emma pinning Regina to the wall, "Regina!" Robin exclaims just as Killian yells, "Emma!"

Both men try and go over to the women when Snow says, "No!" They spin and look at each other and Henry stops struggling to look at his grandmother in confusion just as they are, "Regina said to not interfere."

"Not interfere?! Look at them!" Robin exclaims as he points.

"Listen to her." Regina says as she struggles against Emma's grip as it just dawns on her as to what is happening, "I think her mind is making her relive a memory, just let us recreate it. It might snap her out of it." Looking at Robin she pleads with him to trust her and he nods as he allows himself to be pulled aside.

"A memory?" Killian whispers as he too is pulled to the side. He is looking at Archie now, "You mentioned that before."

"I did," he says as he looks at Snow, David and Henry, "Grumpy mentioned what could have triggered this."

They looked at Grumpy and he gave them the quick rundown version as they turned back to each other, "So that would explain it." Snow said looking painfully at her daughter.

"But what memory is she-" David starts to ask as Emma starts talking.

"You did this!" Emma yelled again as she puts more pressure on Regina's throat.

"Did what?" Regina choked out trying to figure out which memory this was. After all she did a lot of things and she was seriously hoping that this particular fight was not what she thought it was…after all there was only two times her and Emma actually physically fought without magic involved. The first was in the cemetery, and the other was-

"Henry is sick because of you!" Ok so it was, Regina thought as Emma shouted at her, "That apple turnover you gave me? He ate it!"

Henry's heart ached at how desperate Emma was sounding. He wanted to yell at her that he was fine, but he knew that would only make things worse than what they already were. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see that it was Killian. Looking back over he saw a pained expression come over his other mother's face and seeing that she locked eyes with him, he knew she was going to say something that would definitely hurt him and it was a plea to forgive her. He sighed and mentally prepared himself for what was about to be said, he gave a small nod.

Regina hated what she was about to do however as she saw Henry nod, at least she knew that she was forgiven. So steeling herself and allowing the memory of that day to come to her, she started to play her part, "What?" She asked devastated at first, then angrily she glared at Emma and yelled, "It was meant for you!"

David and Killian both growled and Snow held a hand to her mouth to silence her gasp. Robin was just standing there, hating how he could plainly see that Regina was hurting having to relive this memory. She had told him how the curse had broken in this realm the first time and what had transpired when he had inquired how things were before. He knew that she was ashamed now for all that had happened, but even he could see that this event was still painful to her.

Belle was upset at the situation and Gold was doing his best to offer comfort and wishing there was some way he could make this all go away. Archie, while he was taking notes as to what was occurring, was also devastated at having to hear two mothers of one significant brave and special child (now a young man) so pained and one actually thinking was gone, "It's true, isn't it?" Emma gasped fully trapped in the memory.

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked back knowing what was happening, after all this was the day everything changed.

Emma glared through with messing around with the woman, "It's true, isn't it? All of it."

Regina sighed, "Yes." The pain in her voice was real, nearly everything in this particular case was true…and she hated every minute of it as the darkness made Emma relive one of the worse moments of their lives.

Emma had let Regina go and was pacing the diner. Some of the people that had stayed were watching intently, hoping to learn what was going on, "I was leaving town." Emma eventually said, oblivious to everyone with the exception of Regina, "Why couldn't you just leave things alone?" She asked desperately.

David's heart ached, there were a lot of things Emma left out when she and he had actually talked about this day. Of course he knew that she had told Snow everything eventually, but then again to her at one point he was just the man that screwed her best friend over. She only had given him the cliff notes version along with the fight with the dragon. He saw Snow shaking slightly and found her hand. Giving it a squeeze, he tried to comfort her, but knowing that it was impossible at the moment, especially when he needed some as well.

Snow remembered chewing Emma out when she had found out about her idea and near success of kidnapping Henry. However this was nothing than hearing two people that she cared for talking as if their son was already dead. Snow, with her eyes still glued on the scene, found Henry and she pulled him close. He allowed her to hold him and he swallowed as he watched his mother's talk as if he was dead…well in a cursed sleep, "Because as long as you're alive, Henry will never be mine!" Regina yelled out forcibly. It really pained her to say this, after all she had come to accept the fact that Henry was never fully her's a long time ago.

Emma glared at her harshly, "He'll never be anyone's unless you fix this. You wake him up!"

"I can't!" Regina yelled out trying to sound convincing.

"Don't you have magic?"

Regina sighed and threw her arms in the air in disbelief, trying to make this as convincing as possible, "That was the last of it." Then to add the final touch to the argument, "It was supposed to put you to sleep!"

Killian was watching with interest as Regina and Emma went back and forth. He could not believe what was happening. It was bad enough of hearing voices, but now having memories hijacked and twisted so that you believe your loved ones are your enemies? Robin had explained to him what was happening before they had come to Granny's. The plan was to sit and talk about how to best handle the situation. Once they were done, they were supposed to go and see Emma at the station. Of course when they had run into the dwarves talking in the street on high alert, they knew that something was wrong. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Regina say, "We need help. There's one other person in this town who knows about this… Knows about magic."

"Mr. Gold." Emma said in realization.

Everyone looked towards the man in question, he tried not making eye contact with them as he looked at the scene, "Actually, he goes by Rumpelstiltskin."

"Rumpelstiltskin." Emma repeated, at this she closed her eyes as another round of pain shout through her head and she backed away from Regina, "Make it stop." She growled out.

"Emma talk to me." Regina stated knowing that the memory was over. It was as if the former Dark One's name was a trigger.

"We saved him. Real or not real?" Emma snarled out against the pain, but still had deep rooted anger towards the woman.

"Half real. You actually saved Henry." Regina stated quickly, "Gold tricked us. He-"

"Told us to go to the library. I fought a dragon. He tied you up and took an egg from me?" Emma questioned.

Everyone glared at the man in question, "Oh come on. That was a while ago." He said in defense.

"Was that the same-?" Belle started to ask. Gold held up a finger and pointed to Regina.

"That egg had a potion. He brought magic to this town." Regina explained, "He used it first to summon-"

"A wraith. He had it attack you after we locked you up for your safety." Emma responded with her eyes still closed and she shook her head. The voices were becoming slightly faint, although there were still flashes of memory coming to her.

"Yes, the town turned into a lynch mob and was calling for my head." Regina stated.

The few brave souls that stayed in the diner had the decency to look somewhat ashamed for their past actions. There was silence as Emma saw more memories, some were shiny and others were black and white, however for now the black and white ones were becoming more prominent, which caused her to ask as she opened her eyes, "We are friends. Real or not real?"

The group let out a breath that they did not know they were holding, "Real. Personally I like to think we are best friends. We developed a bond in Neverland and events afterward-"

"I trusted you…I do trust you. Real or not real?" Emma asked again cutting Regina off.

Regina did not know how to respond, so she looks at the group. Each person nods in response, so she says, "Real. You trusted me with the dagger in Camelot."

"Camelot…" Emma repeated slowly as her eyes again glazed over once more, seeing a memory that no one else could see until she started speaking again, causing shivers to go down the peoples' spines as they recalled her tone being that of a Dark One, "No. The fight to control my darkness has just begun. It's too much power. Someone needs to watch me." Her voice is almost hypnotic in nature and as she takes a step closer to Regina, Emma holds her hand out. A puff of black smoke appears in her hand that materializes into a dagger.

Regina is numb as Emma offers the dagger to her, "Are you serious?" These words have so much weight aside from unknowingly recreating the memory that is plaguing Emma's mind. As is everyone else in the room who is watching dumbfounded.

"I saved you. Now save me. And if you can't save me, do what no one else will willingly do." This time Emma's voice becomes urgent and desperate, making Regina question if this is still part of the episode or if Emma is back to being conscious of her actions and surroundings, "You're the only one who will get past their feelings and do what is necessary... Destroy me." She watches as dark hazel eyes turn to normal and before anyone could say anything, Emma vanishes in a cloud of smoke.

The weight of the dagger is still in her hand as the group comes closer to her. The side with the name is facing downwards, and she has a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, "Ok what the bloody hell is that?" Killian asks first.

"It's a dagger." Robin states slowly as he looks at it too.

"I can very well see that, what I mean is-?"

"Is it _**the**_ dagger?" David asks as everyone looks at Gold in question.

Regina's grip tightens around the hilt as he looks at it, "Flip it over." He says making no move to grab it or take it. Regina does so and everyone feels sick. There on the metal in black writing is the name: Emma Swan, "It is real I am afraid." Gold says gravely after a few moments, "I would know that damned thing anywhere."

"As would I." Killian stated once he got a better look as well as he now struggled to sit in a chair agreeing with his former adversary's assessment.

"Then what the hell happened to Excalibur?" Snow asked her face pale, now fully remembering if they had taken it with them, before dragging Emma off to Gold's shop.

"And how is my Mom a Dark One again?" Henry asked. They all shared a look as Regina held the dagger once more in her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Real or Not Real?**

They were marching to the blue house with the white picket fence moments after having discovered that the dagger in Regina's hand was (or possibly is for those that were denying it) real, "We have to be sure." Regina said not really wanting to believe that her best friend was back to being the Dark One.

"I am sorry, truly I am," Gold said as he kept pace beside the former Evil Queen, "but that is the real one. I have been tethered to its dark power for centuries now. I would know if it is real or fake."

"Considering he created a fake one and tricked me," Gold winced as Belle put in her input, "I agree with him."

"Aye that goes for me, having hunted down the former crocodile for centuries as well." Killian added as they approached the house.

"Well wait," Henry said as he cut his mother off in mid-step before she could open the gate, "let's think about this for a minute." He also did not believe the implications that were being presented, "We shouldn't make assumptions just yet, or go barging inside."

Archie managed to catch up now as he joined the group, "Henry is right, we cannot go barging in; we need a plan."

"The plan is to find out what happened. We need to know about this," Regina showed the dagger for emphasis, "and Excalibur."

"When was the last time we saw Excalibur?" Snow asked slowly as she held David's hand.

They all looked at each other in question, and it was Henry that eventually answered, "I think it was after mom appeared back in the street. She dropped it and I had ran over to her."

"That is right." Regina said slowly, "And we…took her back to your place." She added looking at Gold, not needing to remind everyone of the events that immediately followed.

Slowly realization dawned on them, no question needed asking as they let the silence linger. During the long pause as everyone exchanged looks of confusion, waiting for someone to confess about the sword. Eventually David decided to break the silence as he eventually asked slowly, "So who picked up the sword before we left?" Again there was nothing and whoever he looked to, looked away, "So no one then?"

"Apparently not." Snow said as she looked at her husband, "So we lost the sword. Again."

"Alright let's just go in there and see what Emma remembers." Regina said as she motioned to Henry to step aside.

Henry sighed and moved, holding the gate open to allow them to pass. Coming to the door, he once again caught up to them, "Wait. Let me try to get in first." He said.

"Why?" Killian asked confused when he was about to ring the bell.

"Remember what happened when she was the Dark One?" He asked, "The house was enchanted to let me in or allow me access. Maybe it reset somehow when…" he motioned to the dagger in Regina's hand, "this happened."

The adults looked at each other and then at Henry, "Lad has a point." Killian said eventually, "Alright then lad," he stepped aside, "go for it."

Henry moved towards the front and looked behind him and saw encouraging nods. Sighing he turned the knob and found the door unlocked. Pushing it open, they heard music blasting in the living room. Henry cocked his head to the side and hesitantly crossed the doorway. Seeing that it was safe, everyone else followed suit.

Keeping a low profile, they entered the living room to see Emma laying on the couch, one arm draped across her eyes while the other remained stretched out to the side with a bottle in her hand as she sang along to the song that was playing, " _We hit the sky, there goes the light, no more sun, why's it always night? When you can't sleep, well, you can't dream, when you can't dream, well, what's life mean?_ " Emma's words were slightly slurred as she sang along to the beat. Everyone just stood around and listened as she seemed to pour her soul into the words, " _We feel a little pity, but don't empathize. The old are getting older, watch a young man die. A Mother and a Son and someone you know, smile at each other and realize you don't. You don't know what happened to that kid you raised; what happened to the Father, who swore he'd stay?_ "

At this Emma took another swig right from the bottle and continued as if there was no interruption, " _I didn't know 'cause you didn't say, now Mamma feels guilt, yeah, Mamma feels pain. When you were young, you never thought you'd die, found that you could but too scared to try. You looked in the mirror and you said goodbye, climb to the roof to see if you could fly!_ " At this Emma toasted something that only she could see with her mind and took another swig from the bottle.

"Ok that is enough of that." Snow said as she turned off the stereo, slightly disturbed that her daughter would listen to a song like this.

Emma immediately sat up, "Yo! Who dares turn off Hollywood Undead like that? Especially at the good part. Like about if I survive this then I will see you tomorrow. Come on people!"

"Well we are not waiting for tomorrow. You are seeing us now." Regina said with her arms crossed, purposely keeping the dagger out of sight.

Emma placed the bottle down, and Killian caught sight as to what its substance was. Leaning over he whispered to Robin, "Gin."

"Excuse me?"

"She has been drinking gin straight from the bottle." He stated as he watched Emma get up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yikes. This is going to be bad." Robin said as he passed the message discreetly to David who looked equally sick.

Emma shook her head and appraised her visitors, "It is rude to enter unannounced."

"Emma, do you know who we are?" Snow asked slowly and easily.

"Yea, which begs another question," Emma answered just as slowly as easily, "what the hell are you all doing here?!" She exploded.

"Wait you are coherent?" Robin asked shocked at the anger in her voice.

"Yes! For how much longer before another memory triggers? I have no freaking clue!" Emma answered back sharply, "Why are you all here? I am not safe!"

"So you remember what happened?" Regina asked as she slowly started to pull the dagger out.

"Not exactly," this stopped Regina's movements, "I just remember talking to Grumpy and then when he refused to tell me about what happened after the curse, I remembered how you used to be and it was like those events just happened." Emma explained, "So my turn and I repeat: why are you all here?"

David sighed and took a step forward towards his daughter, while she took a step back, "Emma we have a problem."

 _It is always some problem_ , a deep dark voice said in her mind. Emma shook her head, but couldn't deny the fact that the voice was right and voiced what she/or rather the dark voice told her, "There is always some problem; but that doesn't explain-"

"What do you remember when you were at the diner?" David asked cutting Emma off.

Emma thought for a moment and then looked at Regina carefully, "I was furious with you. I thought you killed Graham and Henry," Regina shifted uncomfortably, "I attacked you like I did in the cemetery and at the hospital…I was literally in the memory. I had no recollection as to the present. Which is really bad that you are here." Emma finished, "I cannot have you all around me right now!"

"So you are aware?" Archie asked as he was busy writing this stuff down, "You know what is real and what is not?"

"As of right now? Yes, but any of you could trigger a memory…and most of my memories that are associated with you all are not good." Emma explained darkly.

Everyone else saw how Emma's eyes darkened slightly, before she pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut before taking a deep breath and releasing it, "Emma?" Belle called softly, "What are you seeing or hearing?"

"Words…words that followed me all my life…and everyone-" she opened her eyes and motioned to her family, "never mind. Please you all have to leave. Now."

"No." Henry said firmly, "You are not going to shut yourself away again. We will not let you."

Emma looked at him, however she was not seeing her son, but someone else. Her mind was racing as she looked at him, and trying to keep the memories and voices at bay, she said in a strained voice, "Kid, you have to leave. You and my par-…your grand-…" Taking another breath, she said, "Snow and David have to go. Now."

"No!" Henry yelled defiantly not wanting to leave Emma alone again, "You tried to isolate yourself once and that did not end well for anyone," glaring at Emma now he said, "I will not let you."

Something was snapping inside of her as she continued to look at Henry, who was turning into someone else, someone that had hurt her very deeply, and it did not help that the boy in front of her resembled that person, "Get him out of here!" Emma yelled as she was losing control of her mind.

Killian and Robin reached for Henry as he tried to step towards Emma, "NO!" He snapped at them as they tried to grab his shoulder. Then he looked right at Emma, "You will not-!"

"You will not tell me what to do Neal!" Emma yelled suddenly. All movement and nearly all breathing stopped as Emma was giving Henry her most deadly glares that he had ever seen…and he had been trapped in Pan's body and stared down the barrel of her gun she never looked at him like this, "You lost that right when you abandoned me!"

"She thinks I am dad…" Henry whispered slowly as Emma started violently pacing, "Why does she think I am dad?"

"I do not know Henry, but I will not let her talk to you like this." Gold said before Regina or anyone else could comment.

Emma didn't seem to hear any of this as she spun back around, "Amazing," they all looked back at Emma now, "after all this time, you think you have the damned nerve to talk to me as if you still know me."

"Emma I will not let you talk to my boy like this." Gold snarled low. Granted it was Henry she was talking to, but considering that she thought that Henry was Neal…well he had to make do.

"Stay of this!" Emma yelled now as she rounded on him. Talking quickly and furiously she said, "Like father like son, he was a coward!" She pointed violently at her son, "The apple doesn't seem to fall far from the primordial tree!"

"Mo-" Henry stopped himself remembering that he had to pretend that he was his father, "Emma, please what I did-"

"Do not say that it was in my best interest!" Emma yelled, "It is bad enough to learn that my so called 'parents' thought that my supposed 'best interest' was to be raised by a mere child in a foreign land, but to find out that you thought that my 'best interest' was for me to take the fall for the twenty grand worth of watches and throw my ass in jail with a rundown car with a half of tank of gas and pregnant to boot; are you kidding me?!" Emma finished as she yelled at Henry, who in her mind was really Neal, "Not only that but to also find out that you left twenty grand with Pinocchio in the hopes of him giving it to me…the boy known as the epitome of lying and stealing…what the hell were you thinking?!"

Everyone watched as she was breathing heavily, as it seemed like she had suppressed all this for a very long time, or it was once again a memory that was triggered. The key was, however, to find out what memory exactly. It was obvious this was after Emma learned about the curse, but how far exactly? No one was really moving and seeing that she was only responding to Henry, well it was up to him, "Emma please. I was stupid," Dad, you better be watching and listening to this, Henry thought as he took the rap for his decreased father, "I should not have left." Neal had told him what had happened, although granted it was the cliff-notes version, but he could fill in the rest of the blanks considering Emma was yelling everything at him.

"Damn right you shouldn't have! I mean talk about love and all that bull shit! We were supposed to live in Tallahassee! We were supposed to have our happily ever after! Like at least if I had gotten the money, Henry and I could have lived in Tallahassee! We could have had a happy freaking ending!" Emma yelled desperately.

She started pacing again, and Henry stayed rooted to the spot as Emma unloaded on him as unintentional as it was. There was a brief moment of silence before she started ranting at him as she looked into his sad eyes, "What the hell was I supposed to have told Henry?!" Ok so this is New York timeline…Henry thought as Emma continued, "Yes I lied to him, told him you were dead! By all feelings I have for you? You might as well have been dead." Everyone winced now thinking that this was not so much as a memory, but feelings that she had bottled up in this moment that she is reacting to, "Now he compares me to the Evil Queen! Said I was just like her! Never mind the fact that I made you out to be a hero to him! Am I just like the Evil Queen, who would have attempted to make you look like a freaking villain?! I do not think so!"

Henry felt deep shame in the pit of his stomach. He had forgotten that Emma had told him that Neal was originally a hero. It was wrong that she had lied regardless, but she did tell him that he was a hero so he wouldn't think poorly of him, "Because of you I couldn't keep him, because of you I had to place him in the system. Thank god Regina adopted him, because wouldn't want Henry to wind up like we were right?" Emma eyed Henry critically, "Isn't that what you had told me when I held on to you for dear life above the portal that Tamara made after she shot you?!"

"Tamara?" Henry questioned momentarily lost now as she fast forwarded to a different moment in the timeline. Portal, portal, portal…oh! This was just before he was taken to Neverland.

"Oh do not tell me you forgot about your fiancée?" Emma laughed bitterly, "Tamara was a twisted psychopath and on top of it all, if you really did love me oh so god-damn much like really and truly, you would not have moved on with said psycho woman who should have been under heavy duty lockdown in a psych ward with a Thorazine drip! You would have tried to find me. Oh but wait a minute, you were too much of a coward when you could have led me to Storybrooke yourself, so why the hell would you have tried to find me to begin with?" She finished rhetorically.

Regina could not take it anymore. She knew Henry was following her example in the diner by letting Emma vent out her feelings about living in the memory, but looking at their son and seeing that he was breaking, she couldn't take it anymore. Whipping the dagger out, she held it up and said, "Stop!"

Emma was about to respond, when suddenly her mouth snapped shut. Her dark hazel eyes widened in shock as they dimmed back to their normal color, "Snap out of it, and focus on who you are talking to." Regina commanded again and saw that Emma was analyzing Henry closely as her eyes widen in shock once more as she is shaking her head, trying desperately to open her mouth and speak, "Ok speak." Regina commanded seeing that Emma was back to being with them.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean it. You, I mean I saw…oh my god…" Emma struggled to say very quickly.

"I triggered something…didn't I?" Henry asked slowly, showing his mother that he is not going to back away from her, and allow her to take all the blame.

"Yes…kind of. I mean I didn't see you, I saw Neal…everything you were saying…it is what he would have said and…"

"It is ok." Henry said trying to get his mother to listen.

"No it isn't. That is why you have to leave. All of you, and-" Emma looked back at Regina as she just realized what the woman was holding, "What the hell is that? What did you do to me?"

They all looked at each other, "Back at the diner, the last memory you relived was Camelot…the moment you gave me the dagger." Regina answered as it was silently unanimous that she answer the question.

Emma put the pieces together as she swallowed deeply, "You mean…that is…my dagger?"

"Apparently so…especially since I ordered you to stop verbally attacking Henry."

Emma was silence as she stepped closer to Regina. Regina saw Emma eying the powerful weapon in her hand. Slowly holding it up once more, she showed Emma the metal and the writing on the one side, "My name…it has my name…" Emma said her voice cracking, "Why? How? I banished the darkness from Killian, I banished it from myself…how…no…no it doesn't make any sense…"

Emma was on the verge of hyperventilating now as she backed away from Regina, "I won't go through this again…I refuse!" Emma yelled as her breathing became more erratic and shallow. David and Snow quickly moved away from everyone else and over to their daughter to get her to calm down, "Emma it will be ok." David said easily as he reached for Emma.

Emma flinched away from them, "Leave. Now." Emma moaned out as she held her head in her hands.

"No." Snow said firmly, "Just like Henry said, we are not leaving you."

"Leave me alone!" Emma yelled not sure as to who she was talking to. Voices in her head came back, and they were once again honing in on the people around her, and currently she was entering another emotional onslaught of memories.

"We can't Emma." David said firmly, "We can't leave you alone!" He grabbed her shoulder.

Then as fast as he did so, she snapped. She grabbed his wrist hard, taking him by surprise she twisted it, and flipped him, "Gah!" David yelled as he landed on his back.

"Emma!" They yelled, as Snow went to David's side.

Regina was about to take control with the dagger, but Emma looked at her and in one sudden movement with her hand Regina flew into the wall, the dagger clattering to the ground. Robin, Killian, Henry, Belle, Gold, and Archie tried to lunge for the dagger but Emma froze them in place. Then with a predatory like glance, she looked at her parents, "You will not touch me again! You hear me?!"

"Emma we are-" Snow said as she looked into her daughter's dark hazel eyes.

"Disappointed? Ashamed? Or just plain disgusted by me?" Looking into the surprised faces she scoffed, "Please do not give me that look. I have lived with you long enough to see through your shit faced lies."

David and Snow looked at each other. David slowly and rather painfully sat up and helped Snow to a standing position, "We do not understand. What is happening?" He asked easily.

"What is happening?" Emma asked as she felt burning in both her arms, but in different places: one was in the middle of her left arm, and the other was more on a section of her wrist on her right arm, "Do not play stupid with me Sanders," Emma snarled out as this through Snow and David through another loop, not comprehending what was going on at all.

"Remind us," Snow said slowly, "please Emma."

The burning was becoming too much now as Emma struggled to get her leather jacket off, the leather starting to melt into her skin. Finally managing to get her jacket off, she showed her left arm, were there was now a circular irritated red burn, "Look familiar?" Emma asked as she glared at David.

"Wha-"

"You gave that to me when I _**accidently**_ spilled paint on the garage floor!" Emma yelled as she wrenched her arm away from him as he reached to touch her arm, "Of course how could I have expected you to remember when you were drunk off your ass? My bad."

"Emma-" Snow again tried to say.

"Oh please do not act surprised," Emma said turning to her, "and do not give me your false pity. I know what you think of me. You have said it every day…when I am inside, not locked outside just because I missed curfew by one or two minutes, weather be damned."

There was silence on the outside, but on the inside in Emma's mind, there was a loud yelling of voices as she flashed through the memory she was unknowingly reenacting. The spell that kept the onlookers immobile broke and they made a slow move towards the dagger with the exception of Archie who said, "Wait." They stopped and looked at him, "Let them ride this out."

"What?" Killian asked, not wanting to hear more of this.

"Trust me. I need to know what exactly everyone is associated with." He explained then looking back to the trio as they had a 'conversation' he said, "Sounds like one of the homes she was in." Then looking at Henry, "Do you know where Emma keeps her file?"

"File?"

"Her file from her time in the system. Do you know about it?"

Henry's mind raced. Through the real memories he had, he had no recollection of any type of files…only the ones that were found in the ice cream truck from the Snow Queen fiasco. However the false memories revealed a different story. Through them he remembered when he was little and played in his mother's closet, he found an old box and rummaged through it and found old papers. He did not remember much of the contents in general, but he did recall Emma looking at him sadly and somewhat disappointed as she told him to never go in her closet without permission again, "I kind of remember something when we were in New York. I think I know where she would keep them."

"Please go get them." Archie said. When he saw Henry hesitate, he said, "I need them if I am to help your mother. Please Henry."

Henry turned and ran up the stairs with Belle saying something like she would help followed by Robin. Archie, Regina, Killian, and Gold watched them leave, "How much longer is this going to last?" Killian whispered as he slowly looked back at scene. He could see Snow and David's eyes glistening.

"It is too soon to tell." Archie whispered as Regina slowly picked the dagger up, but not giving any command.

"This is just…" Gold tried to say, but unable to communicate his new 'softer' feelings.

"It is." Archie said not needing to hear the whole response.

Emma glared at the sniveling/pathetic excuse of humans in front of her not understanding their personality at all. Why would they be like this when just a few minutes before they were screaming at her for getting into another fight? "Honey please, we don't-" Snow tried to once again say.

"Excuse me? _**Honey**_?" Emma spat the word out, "What happened to being an ungrateful whore?" They winced and looked physically ill, "What happened to me being a stupid, worthless, no good goddamn, freeloading son of a bitch, retarded, big mouth, know-it-all, asshole, and jerk?" Emma asked, they looked like they were about to speak before she raised her hand and cut them off, "Oh wait I forgot to mention ugly, lazy and disrespectful." Glaring harshly at Snow she added, "Isn't that what you yell at me every blessed day?!"

Snow and David shared another look. They then looked passed Emma towards Archie, Regina, and Gold. They were each giving them looks of pity and they saw Archie mouth: _foster family_. Pain and guilt surged through them in that instant. Looking at Emma now, they could see how much she had been through and hiding from everyone, was it any wonder that she was such a hardened and closed off woman? A few minutes later they saw Henry return with Belle and Robin with a large thick file in his hand, "Here." He said quietly as he handed it to Archie.

Quickly paging through it, Archie looked for the specific name that Emma mentioned earlier, "Found it. The very last one she had before she disappeared until the age of eighteen." He muttered quietly.

Snow faintly heard Archie's explanation and immediately understood. Sanders she figured was a foster family, but this particular family had to be really bad if Emma was lashing out on them, "Emma please hear us when we say that we do not deserve your anger. We are not who you think we are. We are not those people who hurt you or-" Snow tried to calmly and rationally explain, but winced as Emma started her wrath once more.

Emma in the meantime was reliving the memory, however somewhere in Snow's calm and rational talk, the memory fast forwarded so she only heard the tail end, "Or what?" Emma challenged as she took a step closer to Snow and David, who took a step back, "You'll throw me threw a wall again? Or better yet send me back to the orphanage? Go ahead…I do not give-"

"Emma no! We do not want that!" David said frantically as he raised his voice over his daughter's. Just what the hell had these people done to her?

"Oh yea because you would lose your precious meal ticket right?"

"Emma that is not-"

"You take in kids just like us and use us as a meal ticket! We are nothing but a tool so that the government would give you free cash just for taking us in! You are a fraud! An ungrateful mother-" Emma's voice rose in octave as she yelled at her parents as she violently pointed and made gestures at them.

Snow and David's shared heart was breaking at each accusation and cursed the darkness that was manipulating Emma into thinking that they were the cause of this pain, "I may be sixteen, have absolutely no concept of anything, I already accepted that no one wants my so called 'roadside ass', and here is the best part that you two remind me about," Emma's ranting paused for dramatic effect as she took a step towards them, "I was born alone, I will remain alone, and die alone." She said in a low and dangerous voice.

Snow and David now started to cry and it was here that the dark fog and voices silenced in Emma's mind as she watched her parents crumble before her. Realization then set in as she looked at them with a look of horror, "Oh my god…oh my god…" Then spinning around, she sees everyone else watching with a broken expression, "Why didn't you stop me?" She asked looking at Regina.

"Archie told me not too." Regina said.

"I wanted it to play out to try and figure out which memories the darkness associated your loved ones with." Archie said as Emma looked at him.

Emma sighed and shook her head sadly, "I am sorry…"

"It is ok, we should have listened." Snow said softly as she approached her daughter.

"I should not have grabbed you." David said, then trying to lighten the mood he laughed, "Especially remind me to never piss you off."

This did not really help as Emma started to shut herself down, Killian went over to her, "Love?"

She flinched away from him and said in an emotionless tone, "If my name is on the dagger, what if your name is back on Excalibur?" Killian hadn't thought about that, "Will I still be your love then?"

Killian sighed and without thinking, he pulled her close which he was grateful that she did not pull away from him, "Yes. Always."

Emma sighed in his embrace, the dark thoughts and voices disappearing like they had done in Camelot, "Ok…" then looking at everyone she said again, more so to herself, "Ok…"

They all looked at each other knowing that it was best not to push the event that had just happened moments ago, Gold changed direction seeing that no one was going to say anything, "Back to the dagger at hand. Where is the sword? Do you know or have a feeling?"

Emma thought as she looked at the dagger in Regina's hand. Multiple memories that were in black and white came to her and she thought deeply, "If the dagger was returned to me, and I reenacted the memory with Regina…then I think the sword would be in the…" Emma slowly walked away from the group and over into the hallway. The group followed as they watched Emma open the door that everyone knew was the basement, "Basement…" As if in a trance, she turned the light on and began walking down the stairs. Everyone else exchanged a look, and followed, the stairs creakingly eerily beneath them.


	6. Chapter 6

Yea I got nothing except the drama of whether or not I graduated from college….AND I DID! WITH **BOTH** OF MY DEGREES! HIZZAH! Well now in the process of writing my resume and putting together a professional portfolio.

Anyway taking a small break to bring you this update, also with this update brings a **trigger warning of brief suicide attempt**. So I will mark the start and then I will mark the safe part.

 **Real or Not Real?**

They found Emma standing in the middle of the room staring at the sword. It was not in the stone, for there was no stone in the middle of the room, more like it was on some kind of makeshift pedestal, "At least it is here and not somewhere else." Snow said as Killian passed them and went right near Emma's side.

Emma flinched back as he neared and took a step away, shaking with raw nerves as she recalled what had happened all because of this damned sword, "Check it." She said, her voice coarse as her mouth was dry.

"For what?" Belle asked softly seeing that they were all staring at her confused and afraid to speak a word.

"The last time…" Emma swallowed, everyone noticing that her face was pale and purposefully avoiding Killian's forlorn gaze, "the last time this was here, I had glamour the sword so that Kil-" Emma heaved a sighed, "So that Killian's name could not be seen."

"So why do you not check it yourself?" Gold asked softly as he looked at the blade he had been kidnapped to free from its stone imprisonment.

"Don't trust myself, and I don't want to be controlled." Emma said, "Please. Someone else check it."

They looked at each other, and Regina nodded silently taking on responsibility. First she waved her hand to make sure the area near the sword was not booty trapped. Sensing no other dark magic in the room, she looked towards Robin for support. He stepped forward with her and grabbed the sword, "Before I do this," Regina announced to the group and this time she looked towards Killian, "do you sense, feel, or hear anything?"

Killian thought for a moment and shook his head, he looked at Emma (who was still not looking at him) but spoke answering Regina's question, "No. I do not sense, feel, or hear anything dark in anyway."

Emma had her eyes shut with her fists balled at her sides, "But that doesn't matter."

"Why Emma?" Archie asked not knowing what exactly had occurred between discovering what Killian had done, to what was happening with Emma now, "It does not seem like he is affected."

"Mom?" Henry asked taking a step towards his mother, looking at her imploring her to answer as she seemed unwilling, trapped in whatever memory was plaguing her.

Emma opened her eyes as she started to hug herself, as if trying to keep herself from tearing at the already fragile seams, "When you all returned from Storybrooke with memories whipped clean, Killian showed no signs of darkness. It was like," she risked a quick glance to Killian and he hoped she saw an encouraging and forgiving smile, "he was the man I love. However when Zelena," she growled out the name, "showed him the sword and the memories, it was then that he turned dark."

Killian sighed slightly defeated, but none the less tried to rectify the situation, "Emma, love please look at me." She did, and once he held her gaze, he said, "I promise that this is not like the last time. I will stand by you, and fight with you no matter what."

"That is the part I am afraid of." Emma spoke softly, "I will never forgive myself for going against your wishes, but I couldn't-"

"I know love…" Killian pulled her close as she buried herself into his chest. He looked over to Regina and nodded.

Regina nodded back and as Robin held up the sword, she waved her hand over the blade. Seeing nothing, he turned the blade over where she proceeded to repeat the same motion. Everyone held their breath and waited, "Nothing. It's clean." Regina announced.

Emma's hands flew to her mouth as she pulled away from Killian, "Oh thank god!"

Killian secretly agreed as he did not allow his full relief to show. In truth, he knew he spoke the truth when he said that he forgave Emma and that this really was not like the last time; it was more or less about whether he would be able to control the darkness if he had still been tethered to the sword, "It just seems that Emma is being affected." David whispered not wanting to fully break the relief that they were not dealing with another Dark One again.

They quietly went back upstairs and saw that it was lunch time, Belle and Gold offered to go to Granny's to pick something up as Regina raided the refrigerator to see what the machine offered as far as drinks. Robin went in to help seeing that Killian had led Emma back to the couch and they sat down with Snow and David in the love seat and Henry sitting opposite of Emma on the other side of the couch. Archie sighed as he took the other chair and looked at the small family, "So I think we should take this time to talk." He said heavily.

"Do we have to do this now?" Snow asked softly as she snuck a glance at her daughter who was wearing a pained expression on her face.

Killian shared Snow's sentiments, "Aye mate, I think we need a break." He made a move to grab Emma's hand, but she pulled away from him.

"I think the more we get down to this, the less likely she will have harsher blow ups." Archie countered gently.

Henry wisely kept his mouth shut, but continued to watch his mother's behavior. She had not said one word to them since she expressed relief when they discovered that Killian was not going to be subjected to the same fate that she was subjected to right now. However that short relief was gone and now a void was in her eyes, "I do not think that is best right now." David said as Snow grabbed his hand, "I mean haven't we pushed her enough for right now? She had her blow up this morning, then at Henry, and then at us; what if we trigger another one?"

"That is just it David;" Archie said, "We need to know what her triggers are. We need to get her to talk to us, we need her-"

"I am sitting right here…" Emma spoke up startling everyone from the conversation. She had been so silent, and so lost in what appeared to be in her own world that they did not think she was mentally there with them, "Stop talking about me as if I am not here."

"We are sorry-" Snow began to say, but was cut off.

"Stop apologizing. I really hate that word." Emma snapped looking at her mother.

Henry moved away from his mother slightly as he was beginning to catch on to the signs that Emma was ready to snap again. Her eyes were darker, not as dark as to not know what she was doing and who she was talking to, but it was clear that she was getting there. Archie, Snow, David, and Killian were starting to get the tale-tell hints as well, because they tried to immediately rectify the impending blow up, "Love we really did not mean anything by it. We just thought you were lost-" Killian tried to explain and defend their actions.

"I am lost." Emma said as she snapped her dark eyes on him, "I am lost, but you do not have to treat me like some mentally handicapped person that is labeled 'handle with care'." Emma finished as she waved her hand across her forehead for emphasis.

Meanwhile as this conversation was occurring, in the kitchen Robin saw Regina leaning against the sink with her arms crossed, "Do you want me to run out and get some drinks?" Robin asks as he motions to the refrigerator.

"No there are drinks in there." Regina said sighing heavily, but making no move to open the refrigerator again.

He could see that this was hard on her, but did not push for an explanation knowing she would open up when she was ready. He just nodded and proceeded to get the drinks out and some glasses from the cabinet. Regina remained in her own world of thought for a time as he moved around her and eventually when everything was out and ready for when Belle and Gold came back did she speak again, "It is not fair." Regina said startling him slightly.

"What?" Robin asked gently as he stopped moving to give her his full attention.

"This," she said motioning to the living room where they heard Archie's explanation and then David's response, "we should not have to be dealing with this again." He knows what she really means, after all he could see how much she cares about the blonde despite the mask of indifference she tries to put on.

"I know it is not fair." Robin said, "But we will do whatever we can to help Emma." He knows what the blonde did for him in Camelot that she did it not only for Regina's pleading, but it was who she was. She is the Savior, and she is now his friend too; and he will do anything for his friends.

Regina scoffed and moved away from him with her arms still crossed, "The way she looked at me…" Regina trailed off, "It was real...what had happened to Graham and what happened to Henry…"

"It's ok Regina." Robin said as he tried to comfort her, "What is important is that you are not that person anymore."

Regina allowed him to hug her, until another thought occurred to her, "Roland…"

"What is that?" Robin asked as she pulled away.

"He has so much faith in me to save Emma. You should have heard him comforting Henry…" Regina trailed off again.

Robin frowned, "Well you will…we will all save Emma and put this bloody mess behind us once and for all."

Regina shook her head, "Last time she wasn't fully dark though. This…this is full darkness."

"Doesn't matter. Where there is darkness there is always light. We have to remember that, now come on. Let's bring them the drinks." He held up one tray and Regina nodded and held up the other as they walked into the livening room.

"Emma please, we are not trying to label you-" This is what Archie was saying as Regina and Robin re-entered the room with the drinks on a trays. However they were both thinking that they might have walked in at the wrong moment.

Emma scoffed, "Oh please you are labeling me right now. With all this writing and talking as if I need to be locked up." She stood up and started pacing.

"Emma we are sorry-"

"STOP SAYING THAT INFERNAL WORD!" Emma yelled. Just as she yelled, a painting hanging up on the far wall shattered and fell to the floor.

"What did we miss?" Robin asked wide eyed as they gently placed the trays on the coffee table.

Killian shook his head at them as Emma hugged herself closely and shook a bit. The door opened slowly, and Gold and Belle entered holding bags in their hands. Seeing the scene, they quickly placed the bags on the dining room table and entered the room, "What the heck happened?" Belle asked as she approached them.

Emma was holding her head in her hands muttering quickly to herself, "Long story," David muttered as he regrettably moved him and Snow away from Emma's range. Killian slowly followed suit with Henry at his side.

Archie had no such feeling as he placed Emma's file down on the table, but Emma saw this movement and looked at him dark hazel eyes flashing, "Emma please we-"

"It wasn't my fault!" Emma yelled bluntly, "If it wasn't for that damn teacher I wouldn't have smashed that motorcycle!"

Archie stood up and held his hands up. He had skimmed through the file when she had her encounter with Snow and David and saw the brief mention of an incident, but that was it, "Why did you smash it Emma?"

Emma appeared to be younger as she paced back and forth with shear agitation and anger, "You read the report! You talked to the principal and those fake people! You know what happened!"

"Emma-"

"STOP PATRONIZING ME!" Emma yelled, "I do not need your pity!" She was shaking now and then started to cry, "Why didn't you people just let me jump?"

This shocked everyone as they exchanged glances. Archie's mouth went dry as he looked at Emma, who seemed younger in appearance as well as broken, "Jump?"

Emma laughed this time in disbelief, "I am not falling for this…" She then began pacing again, "I am not going to stand for this…this is my life…" She looked at Archie again, "If I want to end my life then I will!" ***A/N: HERE IS WHERE YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP***

"Wait Emma!" Archie yelled and suddenly on a whim the room filled with dark smoke and Emma had vanished.

"What the hell happened?" Snow asked quickly, "What was that about?!"

Archie sprang for the file and began to quickly flip through it, "Here! Uhm…"

"We do not have time for uhms Archie." David said as he looked over his shoulder.

"Right, Emma was fourteen. She smashed her teacher's motorcycle with a bat-" Archie quickly read.

"Why?" Henry asked feeling sick as he recalled Emma's haunting words.

"Does it matter?" Killian snapped not thinking, "We have to find her."

"Call her back." Snow said looking at her step-mother, "Use the dagger."

Regina scrambled to find the dagger on her person and pulled it out, "Dark One! I summon thy!"

They waited, but Emma did not appear, "Try again." Gold said looking at her.

Regina held the dagger up again and said more clearly, "Dark One! I summon thy!"

A few more minutes there was nothing, "Emma Swan!" Killian yelled loudly, "Emma Swan!"

"You don't think-" Snow asked softly as David pulled her close. Robin laid a hand on Henry's shoulder for comfort.

Gold held out his hand for the dagger, and Regina eyed him, "Give it to me."

"No way in hell!" Killian said as he pulled Regina's arm away from him.

"Trust me. If you want Ms. Swan back then hand me the dagger." Gold ordered. No one moved and he said quickly, "I believe the clock is ticking. Tick tock…tick tock…"

Regina yanked her arm free and handed it to Gold. He held it up and said, "Take us to the Dark One."

In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded by smoke and in a moment later, they were standing on a building's roof, "How did you know that would work?" Belle asked.

"Emma was resisting its call, but as long as the dagger and the Dark One are in the same realm it will guide you to whoever it is. Just like if the Dark One is in the same realm, they'll hear the summons."

"But Emma was resisting?" Snow asked as she saw her daughter standing on the ledge looking out into the distance.

"Or she is too far gone in the memory to hear us." Gold observed as he saw Emma's form.

Belle looked at them and seeing as to how she reacted to Archie, she hesitantly took a step towards the blonde, "Emma?" She called gently as she gave a hand motion for everyone else to stay where they were and not to talk.

Emma smirked, but did not look at Belle, "So they actually cared enough to send a cop to come find me? Wow I am surprised."

They looked surprised and seeing that Belle was going along with it, David dug into his pocket and pulled out his badge and tossed it to Belle. She caught it and went to Emma's side and flashed it to her, "Of course they care about you."

Emma looked down to the street below, "They shouldn't. It was my fault that Ms. Wilder died."

Belle stole a glance from behind her and saw the confusion on the groups faces, "What happened Emma?"

Emma shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I do not matter. I murdered the only person that gave a flying damn about me. It would have been better if I never existed."

"Emma that is not true." Belle said strongly as she risked taking a step closer to the blonde.

"Why is this happening?" Henry asked frantically wishing there was something he could do to help.

Gold was watching the blonde and could sense the darkness rolling off of her, "The darkness does not only bring paranoia and anger, but it brings to light the darkest parts of your life and feeds off of it."

"But what triggered it?" Killian asked getting ready to move if need be, "She was yelling at us for labeling her, but we weren't."

Archie's mind flashed to the report, "It was me…" He then looked at them as they gave him panicked looks, "I was treating her as a patient then as a friend…"

Before there was a response, their focus snapped back to Emma as she yelled, "It is true. I have known it to be true since I found out the truth about myself!"

"And what truth is that?" Belle asked gently.

"My so called parents: the sperm donor and the incubator for starters!" Snow and David winced as they heard Emma refer to them in such a manner, "They left me on the side of a freaking free-way when I was hours old! Then I was subjected to the hell that is foster care with the most abusive people on the planet!" Emma showed Belle her arm with the list of names on it, "See there they are! Those are the people that I have had so far that are scums of the Earth!"

"Not everyone is like that Emma, please come down from there and we can talk some more." Belle said holding her hand out.

Emma ignored the gesture, "What is the point? Like I said the one person that does care is gone and it is my fault."

"Tell me what happened," Belle repeated gently, "please Emma."

"We got into a fight. I was expelled from that school after smashing the motorcycle."

"Why did you smash it?" Belle asked as she made a slow gesture for two people to step forward.

Robin made a move as did David. Killian wanted to move, but David convinced him otherwise, "I know you are her father mate, but she is my girlfriend. I want to be the one to comfort her. This is my fault after all." Killian growled as he stopped David.

"I know you do, and trust me I would let you, but if she struggles you could accidently hurt her with your hook." David pointed out softly.

Killian glared at his friend, but let him go. Instead he looked at the boy next to his grandmother and paternal grandfather. He went behind Henry and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort, "This is not your fault." Henry muttered out, "It is mine."

"No it isn't." Regina, Gold, Snow, Killian, and Archie said in reprimand.

"If I hadn't broken the pen, I could have re-written this. Make it so that Emma never took on the mantel of the Dark One…none of this would have happened." Henry said as Emma remained immobile on the ledge, not talking.

"None of us could have seen this coming," Gold said sadly, "besides if you had, who knows what kind of price would have been paid."

Regina looked sadly at her son, but then she realized something else as she looked at Gold. Gold had the sight as the Dark One…which meant a lot of things. He felt her stare and looked at her. Shaking his head, she caught the message: not now.

Snow was about to comment on something as she saw the brief exchange, but was unable to as Emma finally spoke, "Mr. Tanner said something I did not like, he essentially called me out in front of the class. I was already getting a reputation because everyone saw my clothes and knew my story. In response I started to briefly act out…after all everyone knew me as the foster kid and what-not so why not act my part? A couple of the other kids saw me and asked me if I wanted to join their gang. For once it felt like I could belong…however they wanted me to smash his bike in the process as part of my initiation…"

"So you did it to be in the gang?" Belle asked gently.

"I didn't at first. I knew it was wrong, but Harley reminded me of everything he had said…what everyone else was saying…I had the bat, the bike was in front of me…and I thought they could be my family if I did what they asked…" Emma explained, "Anyway after I was sent back to the home, Ms. Wilder got into with me and we fought. I stormed out and I heard a thud, and a gasp. But I didn't do anything…I ran away. I just got back when I saw the ambulance drive away and one the kids said she had a heart attack!" Emma was getting hysterical, "And it was my fault! I let her die! I killed her!" ***A/N: OK SAFE TO READ***

It was at this moment that Robin and David, who had slowly inch by inch started to approach. Giving a brief glance at each other, they lunged and swiftly pulled Emma off the ledge, "NO! Let me go!"

David and Robin held firm as Belle went over by Gold as Emma started to cry, "Please…let me go…"

"Regina can't you do something?" Gold muttered quietly hinting at the situation.

Regina looked at Archie, he nodded seeing that Emma was not going to be released from the memory as swiftly as the others. She slowly approached her boyfriend and step-son-in-law. Going over to the blonde, she waved her hand and Emma's cries were silenced. David held his daughter as Robin stood up and joined Regina's side, "They are getting worse it seems."

"The darkness is trying to destroy her soul." Gold said, "Trying to snuff out as much light as possible."

"Can we go home now?" Henry said as he looked at his grandfather holding his mother in his arms.

Regina nodded and waved her hand. In a cloud of purple smoke they vanished from the roof and appeared back at Emma's house. David carried her upstairs and Killian opted to stay up there to keep watch. David appeared back downstairs he went over to the dining room where Regina had tried to serve the food that was brought back from Granny's, however no one was eating or drinking anything; they just sat in silence in grim reflection.

After a few moments Regina spoke up and looked at Gold, "You know more than you are letting on."

"Excuse me."

"Tell us what you know." Regina said.

Eyes flew to Gold and he sighed as he sat back with his arms crossed in thought, "It is speculation but yes I do perhaps know the end game clearly now."

"We know the end game." Henry slowly piped up as he got up to grab his book. When he returned he placed it in the middle of the table, the marked page open for all to see, "See it is going to use Emma to destroy us."

"It is more than that…" Gold said slowly as he looked at the page.

"Please." Snow muttered, "Please tell us how to save our daughter."

Gold looked sadly at the royals. He may have made her the Savior, and had seen many things, but- "You knew about this. All of this." He looked at Regina as she spoke leaning forward on her hands.

"I assure you I did not see any of this." Gold stated.

"You had the Sight." Regina pointed out.

"Yes, but-"

"Any information you can tell will be helpful." Archie said holding up his hand, "I can only do so much in her sensitive position."

Gold sighed and closed the book, "I will do what I can as I promised, but it is speculation." Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he sighed once more knowing this was not going to make anyone feel better.


	7. Chapter 7

**Real or Not Real?**

Gold sighed and closed the book, "I will do what I can as I promised, but it is speculation." Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he sighed once more knowing this was not going to make anyone feel better.

Locking eyes with everyone, he rubbed his hands together, "My theory is that the Darkness plans on killing Emma's soul by torturing her with her worst memories-"

"The Darkness wants to kill Emma?" Snow stated cutting Gold off, "But-"

"No, dearie." Gold stated holding a hand up, "The Darkness wants to kill Emma's soul. See the soul is the essence or embodiment of a specified quality. We all have one regardless if we are heroes," he motioned to David, Henry, Snow, Robin, and Belle, "or former villains;" he motioned to himself, Regina, and upstairs where Killian still resided in the bedroom upstairs keeping vigil over the Savior.

"Emma however is a special individual. Seeing as you two found it necessary to keep your unborn child from becoming evil," Snow and David looked extremely guilty at this as Gold continued his explanation with his eyebrow raised at them, "by infusing Emma's potential for darkness into another vessel, you made it so that her potential for goodness filled her soul. However a soul is not meant to be filled with goodness or darkness. It is meant to have both." He clasped his hands together as a demonstration of this effect.

"Which is why you were dying when your heart was turning fully black." Regina commented as she was following along, despite the slight confusion on the others' faces.

Gold nodded, "Well that and I was under the Dark One's influence for three hundred some odd years." Mentally shaking himself from the memories of that incident he turned back to the topic at hand, Emma, "But something else is taking factors here. Emma, with everything she has gone through, does have darkness in her that is not triggered by being the Dark One or finding out that you two were deceitful in your error in judgement. It was your job to keep her on the path of good, however being the way it was you did not do that; and as we saw there multiple cases of Emma falling into her own darkness that had formed due to her rather…unfortunate…upbringing."

"But Emma was not evil in those instances." David mentioned trying to not sound so defensive, "Nor did she react in evil intent."

"Darkness can come in all forms." Regina said to Gold's defense, "It does not have to be evil or vengeful." Looking at Gold, "Is that what you were driving at?"

Gold again nodded, "Yes that is exactly my point. I did not mean any disrespect," seeing a few raised eyebrows he sighed, "I really didn't. The point is that Emma has had time to heal. Yes she became guarded, untrusting, and somewhat surely; but she had time to process heal to the best of her ability. This time there is no grace period as it were. She is reliving these memories with no time to process and cope. So it is as if they are all fresh and raw."

Gold let this statement hang around them for a bit. Everyone not meeting each other's gazes or speaking. After a few moments Archie coughed and had everyone's attention on him, "So with all this constant back and forth through all these dark times in her life, that is how the Darkness is going to destroy her soul? Through her grief and personal pain?"

"Well there is that, but with all her memories distorted it will eventually start to feed off her anger. Snow and David, as we saw, are attached to memories associated with her foster families. The bad ones as we were shown." Snow and David shivered as they recalled Emma's reaction towards them. Gold then motioned to Henry, "Seeing that Henry is the son of my son, and resembles Baelfire a bit; he is associated with the abandonment Emma felt by him." Henry bit his lip and Robin placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Looking at Regina he continued as if there was no pause, "We do not have to see what Regina is associated with. No offense dearie."

Regina raised her hand, "For once none taken."

Then he looks at Archie, "You are most likely probably now associated with the social workers Emma had, and probably some of the therapists perhaps." Then looking at Belle he says, "You were probably associated with another authority figure in her life. Like the cop that stopped her from jumping, but there could be more."

"And me? So far there is nothing I have done to trigger anything." Robin said slowly as he offered some comfort to Regina as well.

Gold sighed deeply, "That still remains to be seen. And Killian of course tried to kill all of us, so we have a fair idea what that memory entails."

There was silence again for a few moments, "So because of these associations, and no time for her to process anything to actually disassociate herself and us…that is how the Darkness plans on using her to destroy us?" Belle asked him slowly, "Turning her against us?"

"I am afraid so. With her being so vulnerable there is no telling how far she will succumb."

No one spoke again and the food was left untouched. Regina still looked at her former mentor for a brief instant and she asked, "Did you see this?"

"Excuse me?"

"This." Regina motioned to the ceiling and then around the table, "When you had the Sight, did you see this?"

Gold sighed once more and saw that everyone was waiting for a response, "I saw a lot of things." He got up from the chair and turned away from the group, losing himself in the memories of a different lifetime, "Nothing could have stopped the curse; except, of course, your unborn child," He looked at Snow and David. The penetrating look they were given made them shiver as they started to feel as if they were back in his cell.

Then he looked at the Queen, "No matter how powerful, all curses can be broken. Their child was the key." Regina, much like Snow and David saw herself back in his imprisonment as she too listened. Robin moved away from Henry and slid next to her side, but she did not even notice as Gold continued his hypnotic like voice as the chilling scenes he once saw entered his mind, "The curse involved all of us being sent into a prison much like mine was...only worse. The prison was time."

Henry shivered as he looked into Gold's haunted gaze as his paternal grandfather looked at him. Henry reflected how his mother had started to have that look every time she heard the Dark Ones' voices and (unfortunately) even now as she was being tormented with memories that she could only see. Now being pulled back into the current situation he heard the words from the very mouth that was spoken from as he had read them in the book, "Time would stop, and we would be trapped. Someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, would be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity. No more happy endings."

No one spoke for a good minute or two. Belle heaved a sigh finally and said, "But what does this-?"

"It has to do with everything. I foretold the coming of the curse. I made it after all. I made it so that I could get back to my son. However I needed someone to cast it, someone who would do anything." Looking a Regina he said, "Someone who was willing to as far as it takes."

Thinking this over Snow said slowly on her step-mother's behalf, "You took advantage of Regina's pain."

"And you played Cora as well." David said as he thought about the Mills family in general.

Gold nodded, "Yes. I foresaw that. I knew how I could use it to my own advantage."

Regina could not bring herself to be furious. Later she was sure that she would skin Gold for Captain Guyliner, but what mattered now was Emma and her role that she wanted to know about, "And I suppose you played with these two," Regina said motioning to Snow and David, "all of this because you knew that they would have the most powerful true love anyone else's love."

"It is true again, yes." Gold said not even bothering to deny it, "I made it so that Emma was the Savior. I knew her magic was going to be strong enough to break the curse." He shook his head, "I did not factor though the town line, but I knew she could lead me to my son."

Henry had been silent as he thought back to that one day. The day he realized exactly what Emma had unknowingly admitted to him, "You knew she would make that deal with you by helping Ella with Alexandra. You saw what happened once she had given me up. You knew that she would never want anyone to go through what she went through."

Before Gold could even form a response there was a piercing shriek and the lights flickering wildly in the house. Everyone was momentarily frozen in shock at the display and Killian came pounding down the stairs, eyes wild and frantic, "Help! Come quick!" He panted as he bolted back upstairs with the group on his heels.

When the group reached the bedroom…it was not the way they had left it after dropping Emma off, "This is not how I left it…" Killian yelled over Emma's heart-wrenching screams.

The room had completely transformed into a hospital room, queen sized bed had been transformed into a hospital gurney, her wrists were cuffed to the bedrails, and all around were phantoms of police guards and nurses trying to restrain Emma has she tried to pull herself away from the multiple hands that tried to restrain her.

David and Killian took action in trying to pull the men and women away from the blonde, however their hands went right through them, "What-?"

"Her magic is getting out of control." Gold yelled over the screams, "It seems she is projecting the memory."

"How do we get her to calm down? And what memory?!" Robin's voice echoed in the room.

However as soon as he spoke, Emma stopped screaming and trying to desperately to escape. Her eyes darted right over to him, "Doc! Doc! Get off of me!" Emma yelled as she pulled her arms back away from the phantom people. They immediately disappeared in a brief flash, except for one nurse who went over to Robin.

His hair stood up on the back of his neck as the nurse guided him over to Emma. His stomach dropped as Emma's panicked eyes met his and she said quickly, "Please, please I changed my mind! Please!"

"What-?" Robin was about to ask as a foreboding feeling came to him and he glanced behind him to try and meet Regina's gaze. However her gaze was pained and she placed her hands on Henry's shoulders. Then another nurse materialized by his side and he heard a faint whisper in his ear that sent haunted shivers up his spine, " _It's too late-_ "

"The baby was taken by DCF." Robin finished the nurse's sentence out loud on his own accord. His body went numb and his mind was silenced of all coherent thought, leaving only faint like memories in which he acted on to the young woman strapped in the bed before him.

Henry's blood ran cold as he watched his mother's face twist in agony. He wanted to run over there and hold her, but Regina and Killian held on to his shoulder's, "What?! NO!" She pulled hard on the bedrails and more phantom guards appeared to pull her down, "How could you let a day old baby leave with a complete stranger! I am his mother! I want to be his mother!"

Snow and David looked at each other with shared looks of pain. Why did it have to be their daughter that suffered? Haven't she paid enough prices on their behalf? They wanted to go over and push Robin away from their daughter and comfort her, tell her that everything worked out; but knew that was not possible.

Archie was just observing. Of course this was very painful and devastating; but right now he needed to be objective and clearly, as Gold explained earlier, Robin is acting as the doctor in this memory, but why?

Belle looked at Gold this time and saw that his face was turned. She hesitantly reached out and touched his arm in support. He looked at her and nodded showing that he was ok, but in reality he was far from it. He had started to explain how the Darkness was going to defeat all of them, how he saw certain events take hold, and rather unfortunately what he had not explained was that among the things he had seen…he had seen flashes of this happening. He saw Emma take on the mantel…and he had been trying to prevent that (reasons that were more or less through selfishness rather than selflessness). He had also seen the endgame if they should fail. He caught Belle's eyes once more and they took on a questioning gleam, and he knew what she was asking. With a slight tilt of his head in confirmation, he watched as her face paled.

Killian caught this exchange and while he had been busy keeping vigil over Emma, he heard everything that was being said downstairs, including the last little bit when Emma started to shout and react to a memory. A dark thought snuck up on him in this moment, " _The bloody crocodile knew_."

"I am sorry Ms. Swan," Robin said as his voice remained stoic, "but I gave you a chance."

"No! You get him back! Now!"

"I can't!" Robin yelled which surprised all occupants in the room.

"Robin-" Regina stated as she tried to go over to him. She was not paying attention to anyone, but Henry. However Robin's actions were starting to scare her as he approached closer to Emma's bedside.

"No." Gold said holding her back, "That is not Robin Loxley. Emma's magic is projecting the memory and it would seem the memory found Robin suited to be the doctor that delivered Henry."

"How can she do this?" Belle asked.

Gold sighed as Regina shook her head, "I do not know. The Darkness must be getting desperate."

"You signed away your parental rights. That baby is no longer your son, and you are no longer his mother." He said harshly.

Emma's face paled and the heart monitor in the room was beeping loudly and rapidly, "I couldn't look at him…I couldn't…no, no, no! What have I done? What have I done? What the hell have I done?!"

They watched as Emma started crying, "I gave him up…please," she pleaded now, "please get him back for me. Tell them that you filed the papers wrong and that was the wrong kid."

"We cannot do that Ms. Swan." Robin stated, "He is-"

"THEN YOU WILL SENTENCE HIM TO A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH!"

"Ms. Swa-"

"NO! LOOK AT ME!" She pulled up on the cuffs and the bedsides jerked, "This is what the almighty system has come to! It failed me and it will fail him too! Please…I made a mistake. I want my son!"

"There is nothing I can do."

"Bullshit! You took an oath! An oath to protect and service in the wellbeing of a human!"

Turning to the phantom nurse Robin said, "Sedate her."

The nurse nodded as Emma started another round of yelling and cursing. The guards held her down as the nurse stuck Emma with a needle. It was then that the scene shimmered before them and the room went back to the way it was as if nothing happened. Robin shook his head and stumbled backwards, David caught him before he collapsed on the floor, "I am ok." Robin said as he tried to shake his head to ward off the dizziness, "What happened though?"

"I think we better go downstairs." Gold answered as they looked back at Emma's unconscious form in the bed, her face still a ghostly pale color.


End file.
